The Fading Sakura
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Called to act as consort to the Spirit King, Byakuya must leave everything behind. Upon realizing the king has been corrupted and will simply drain him of life, he finds an unlikely ally in Aizen Sousuke, who promises to help free him. Warning:mpreg/angst
1. The Betrayal

**The Fading Sakura**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**(Another intriguing storyline suggested by Walkure Leuad - Warning...mpreg...but not typical mpreg, just a binding of reiatsu during lovemaking. Reiatsu emerges on its own and doesn't require a typical birth...so stop now if it bothers you, and if not, then read on! ****)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Prologue: The Betrayal**

Aizen Sousuke sat quietly within Central 46…secreted in a secluded office. He withdrew several sheets of paper from the desk and dipped his brush in a fresh pot of ink. Taking a breath, he gathered his thoughts and began to write.

_My Dear Byakuya,_

_When you read this letter, many things will have changed and you may be tempted to rethink all that has passed between us. I don't have long to make sense of things, but I want you to know the truth, so that you can make the decision I will ask you to make based on the facts. Perhaps, when you hear what I have discovered, you will understand why it is both necessary and unavoidable for me to act as I am now._

_I know you were but a child, but perhaps you remember when Kirio Hikifune resigned her position as taichou of Squad 12 and left for the Spirit Dimension. What no one knew, but what she managed to secret out of the spirit dimension, is that she left due to a royal summons, one that required that she report to the Spirit King and offer herself as the King's Consort. She was neither honored nor pleased by her mission. She discovered upon her arrival that the King's Consort is forced to undergo difficult changes that rob him or her of all power, connection with the zanpakutou…everything that makes our lives meaningful. Naturally, she did not embrace being chosen for this, but she knew that she could not escape it. So she wrote a missive and managed to have it carried out of the spirit dimension and delivered to me._

_The contents were shocking. I dare not tell you everything in this letter, because merely having the knowledge is a crime…and I know why they want to keep it a secret. After reading what she sent, I became convinced that the Spirit King has somehow become corrupted and must be removed from power. Obviously, this is a crime that would result in my being given the Sokyoku. So I am left with little choice._

_My explorations over the years have been directed at finding a way to overthrow the king. I endeavored to find something to prove my assertions about the king, but there is nothing I can use to prove my claim. Failing at finding the proof I need, I must instead focus on destroying the king and creating a new hierarchy for our worlds. Balance must, of course, be maintained, but what has happened is that the king seized limitless power, upsetting the balance and so needed a consort with no spiritual pressure and no power to balance him. The difficulty is that the very presence of the king slowly drains the consort of life. The consort fades and must be replaced. The king may choose his consort from the Royal Guard or from among the taichous of the Gotei 13. The chosen has no choice, but must give up everything to balance the limitless power of the corrupted king…to slowly fade into nothing. I cannot allow this to continue._

_I found out that Urahara Kisuke created a device called the Hougyoku, one that may enable a balanced king and consort to be made…meaning the two chosen would rule together, their power balanced so that neither drains the other. Unfortunately, he hid the device within your sister. I have sought a way to remove it from her and will do so, but a complication has arisen and it may cause confusion. _

_Ichimaru Gin has been close to me as I have researched all of this. Pretending to support my work, he convinced me to take him into my confidence. I recently discovered that Gin is an agent of the current corrupted king. Somehow…I do not know how, the king discovered that I was contacted by his consort. Recommended to him by Soutaichou, Gin's task was to get close to me and to determine if my plans posed a threat to the king. When he realized what I intended to do and that my plan was viable, instead of returning to Soutaichou and reporting what he knew, he decided instead to use the information to force me to help him overthrow the king so that he can assume the throne…purportedly with me as the other half of the balance. All he has to do is to whisper one word to Soutaichou or the king and my plans will be annihilated. I cannot afford to let that happen. So, I am forced to work with Gin until such time as I can kill him. I would have done so already, but he has left me no openings._

_You are going to hear about awful things I have done alongside Gin. I cannot explain the reasons in this letter, but if you heed my request, I promise to explain everything._

_I want to apologize to you for your sister being caught up in all of this. Gin is enjoying toying with her and seems to have some sort of grudge against you that explains his vehemence. He wants that when we reveal ourselves, that we should kill her. I have a plan in place to make it look like we have killed her, but it will be an illusion meant to fool him._

_In any case, once all is revealed, I must go along with Gin to Hueco Mundo and begin to build an army of hollows, affected by the Hougyoku to overthrow the king. I would try to kill Gin, but I must have his assistance in building the army of hollows. At some point, he will turn on me to grab power for himself, and perhaps by then, I will have found a way to stop him. _

_Byakuya, you and I have been in each other's orbit for many years, and I now confess that I longed to be even closer. I admit now that, in defiance of the rules of the Gotei 13 that forbids taichous to fall in love with each other, I have fallen in love with you. I think you sensed this…and that is why you have become distant with me. I want to bridge that distance…so I offer you this. I leave you this soul communicator. I have enabled it to reach me from anywhere. If you return my affections and you decide that you would be willing to help me in my mission to balance the power of king and consort, simply use this communicator and I will bring you here to join me._

_I will understand, of course, if you decide not to return my affections, or if you feel you cannot leave your clan leadership and position in the Gotei 13. But I had to tell you what was happening, had to offer you the chance to come with me to balance the king's power and to end this bleeding of life that continues even now…_

_Whatever you decide, know that I love you and I will always treasure the time we spent together, even never having had the chance to express my true feelings. You are beautiful, so very beautiful, Byakuya. I hope with all of my heart that you will come to me in Hueco Mundo. _

_Yours always,_

_Aizen Sousuke_

He sat back and studied the letter carefully, making sure he had said everything in the way he wanted and that he left nothing out. He sighed and placed the letter and soul communicator in an envelope, then rose and flash stepped to the door. He slipped out of Central 46 and invoked his power to make himself invisible to others. It wouldn't, he thought, be prudent for him to reveal that he was alive…not yet. He wondered how Byakuya would react to his letter. He didn't hold out great hopes that the noble would leave his home and family, but perhaps he would open a dialogue…there could be something, some kind of connection that would keep them from falling apart entirely. There had to be a way…

He realized suddenly that he had reached the manor. He walked through the entry unseen and made his way down the outer walkway, stopping for a moment as he realized that Byakuya knelt less than ten feet from where he stood, studying a picture of his late wife. He sighed longingly, wishing he could speak to the noble one more time before leaving. He stepped closer, breathing in the sweet sakura scent that hung in the air around him.

He looked so sad…

And Aizen Sousuke understood why. He hadn't meant for Rukia to actually be executed. That had been Gin's idea. Even now that they had found another way, he still wanted to kill Rukia, to hurt Byakuya. Aizen Sousuke wondered for a long moment, just why the other was so set on destroying the girl. What was this anger, this fury, that seemed to be directed at Byakuya? Was Byakuya just a rival Gin wanted to squash? Or was there more to it than that? He shook his head in frustration and forced himself to move on. As he passed out of the room, the floor creaked.

Byakuya turned and looked directly at him…

There was a long moment of silence, then the noble sighed and turned back to the picture of his late wife. Aizen continued along the corridor to Byakuya's bedroom and set the letter carefully in the pocket of one of his shihakushous. He turned out of the room and flash stepped away, not daring to return to the room where Byakuya knelt, not even to look at the noble one last time. It was better, he thought, to just move on…to let it go. Byakuya would read the letter and make his decision…and what happened would happen. There was no use in agonizing over it.

He made his way back to Central 46 and slipped back inside to wait. He was quite relieved, however, that his waiting was almost at an end.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Summons**

"Make way for the Royal Courier!" announced a voice from outside the taichou's meeting room.

Soutaichou's eyes rose sternly and the taichous' heads turned to look as the door was thrown open and a white clad messenger entered the room.

"I bear a message for Soutaichou and all of the taichous," the messenger said, removing a scroll from the pack at his waist, "By order of the king…It has been determined that the King's Consort has begun to fade and the time has come for his highness to select a new consort. As you know, consorts may be male or female and are chosen from the ranks of the Royal Guard or the taichous of the Gotei 13. To be chosen as consort is an extreme honor. After much deliberation, his highness chooses Kuchiki Byakuya to act as consort to the king. The consort will have seven days in which to see to the organization of his affairs, after which he will be escorted to the spirit dimension by a special detachment of the Royal Guard."

He turned and bowed before a pale and stunned looking Byakuya.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, you are to be congratulated."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya left the first division and walked slowly back to the sixth. In his hand, he carried a sealed envelope and in his pocket, he carried a copy of the order from the king. His mind still kept replaying the words the courier had said. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he, of all shinigamis had been chosen to be King's consort. He had known, of course, upon taking his post, that the king had the right to order such a thing, but the issue had never arisen…

And now he would have to give up everything…

After the taichou's meeting, the messenger had handed him a personal message from the king, outlining his orders. The words still echoed in his mind.

_My Dear Byakuya,_

_I have watched you for a very long time and have waited many years, not knowing if I would ever have the chance to be anything more than the distant king you served as leader of a noble clan and as a taichou of the Gotei 13. Though it is a sad thing that my current consort's life is fading, it finally gives me the opportunity to invite you to join me in the spirit dimension. I have longed for this, and I hope we shall have many happy years together, ruling the three worlds. I know that your wisdom, your strength of character, your beauty and your obedience will make this a very fulfilling union._

_You will have seven days to put your affairs in order. I know that you will need to choose a taichou to succeed you in the sixth division…and as you have no heir as of yet, sadly, the line of your clan that has served as taichou of the sixth division for so long will, unfortunately, end with you. You will also need to select an heir to succeed you as the head of the Kuchiki clan, as you will not be allowed to leave the spirit dimension after you are brought here. I know it will be difficult for you to say a final good bye to your loved ones, knowing you will not return to them, but your service to me is of utmost importance to the balance of power that protects the three worlds. The ones you are leaving will surely understand this._

_You need not bring anything with you…and in fact you are discouraged from bringing anything. Your new place in the spirit dimension requires that you sever all connections with your former life in service to the king. When the time comes for your leave taking, a Royal Escort will provide you with clothes to wear for your journey, and will guide you into the spirit dimension._

_I look forward to your arrival._

_Fondly,_

_His highness, Yoshiaki, Spirit King_

His heart pounded strangely and his eyelids fluttered, but he forced down the emotions that raged beneath the surface. He surrounded himself in false calm and forced his feet to continue to move in the direction of his division…or the division that would only be his for seven more days. He reached the door and paused for a moment, calming himself again before opening the door and entering.

Renji sat, working at his desk…as nearly always was the scene he met after his taichou's meetings. The redhead looked up at him and smiled.

"Taichou, how was your meeting?" he asked casually.

Byakuya swallowed hard and everything he had planned to say or do flew out of his mind. He stared for a moment, then noticed the concerned look on Renji's face and tried to recover himself.

"Oh…my apologies, Renji. The meeting went fine."

"You want me to make some tea for you Taichou?" Renji asked, eyeing him, "You look a bit unsettled. It must have been some meeting. Soutaichou yelling at everyone again…or was it Kurotsuchi taichou…"

"It was nothing especially," Byakuya said, relieved to have regained the calm in his voice, "but I would like for you to make us some tea…then I must speak to you."

He sighed in frustration as the look of concern on Renji's face only grew. But the redhead hurried off to make the tea and Byakuya sat down in his chair to wait. He knew he should busy himself with the tasks that waited on his desk…but why work on training schedules and living world placements that he wouldn't be there to see carried out. Why write reports that would become meaningless to him the minute they were signed and sent…

"Here you go, Taichou."

He took the tea from Renji's hand and felt a small sense of warmth and comfort in the familiar exchange…but that would be going away as well. And in seven days, Renji, Rukia, everyone he knew would disappear from his life forever.

And the worst part was, he wasn't allowed to explain…

He picked up the sealed envelope and handed it to Renji as the redhead sat down next to him. Looking unnerved, Renji opened the envelope and pulled out the announce ment inside, freezing and dropping letter and envelope as he realized what it was. Byakuya gathered himself and tried to make it as quick and painless for both of them as possible.

"Congratulations, Renji. You have been promoted to taichou of the sixth division. You will unofficially begin your duties now and will officially assume command in one month. I offer my regrets that I will not be able to attend your promotion ceremony."

"T-taichoiu? Taichou, what has happened? What's happening to you? Where are you going?"

"I am sorry," he said, his voice low and sincerely apologetic, "I am forbidden to explain. But Renji, I want to thank you for your loyalty…for all you have done for me since Aizen Sousuke's betrayal. You deserve this promotion."

"But Taichou…you'll still…I mean, we'll still see each other, right? You're…you're still going to be here, right?"

Byakuya stared at him, not daring to tell him the truth, but knowing he deserved more than silence.

"I need to ask you to look out for Rukia. I want your word that you will watch over her and keep her from harm as I would."

"Th-then…you are leaving. Are you coming back? You will come back, right Taichou?"

"I'm not your Taichou anymore, Renji," he said softly, "Now give me your word that you will protect Rukia."

"Of course…but…"

He stood and Renji stood with him.

"Taichou…" Renji said in a frightened voice, "Please…please tell me what's happening. If you're in some kind of trouble…"

Byakuya broke all of his stiff barriers, closed the distance between them and embraced the redhead tightly, then released him. He held Renji's eyes for a moment longer, then flash stepped away.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Byakuya stood in front of his dressing area mirror, watching as the King's Escort tied the formal white kimono in place, then stepped back to study his work. He met Byakuya's eyes in the mirror and smiled.

"Come…the king awaits you."

Byakuya nodded and moved to follow as the man started across the room. He felt a pang of intense emotion as he reached his bed and stopped. The escort turned and looked back at him, an expression of understanding in his eyes.

"Tell you what. I will wait outside for a few minutes. Join me there when you are ready," the man said quietly.

He walked out, leaving Byakuya staring after him.

He wasn't sure what had made him stop…perhaps that it was the last time he would ever stand in his room, ever look out into his garden, ever set foot in Kuchiki Manor. And he couldn't take anything…nothing.

But he needed something, he thought desperately, but what? He was told to set everything aside, to leave everything behind…but he needed to take something. Something small that would go unnoticed. He looked around his room, but everything seemed to big or noticeable. He searched his dresser and closet. He searched his nightstand and as his fingers reached in towards the back, a small envelope touched his fingers. He swallowed hard and pulled it out.

He had put it there several years before…unopened. After seeing Rukia nearly killed by his former friend and colleague, he hadn't wanted to read the words. But being that he was going to be taken away…to lose everything…he thought maybe that he needed to know.

"Kuchiki Byakuya?" the escort said from outside the door, "I'm sorry, but we cannot delay any longer."

Kuchiki Byakuya…

Not Kuchiki-sama, Kuchiki taichou…or anything else honorable…

He was no one now…

His name was meaningless…

His life as he knew it was over…

In a last bit of rebelliousness, he secreted Aizen's letter inside the folds of his kimono and stepped toward the garden doors. He opened them and walked out into the garden, where his escort waited. His heart nearly broke and he blinked back tears as he saw the servants lined up on either side of the walkway and Rukia and Renji standing near the end with their arms wrapped around each other. He looked into the kind, sad eyes of his staff and said a silent farewell as he passed by them. As he reached Rukia and Renji, he heard his sister sob and his feet stopped. The escort stopped as well, waiting.

He stepped away, ignoring the escort's words and walked to Rukia. Renji released her and she flew into his arms, sobbing harder. He held her for several moments, stroking her back and resting his face against her hair, then kissed her on the forehead and nodded to Renji, who pulled her away from him.

"Nii-sama, please, don't go! Will I see you again? Please, Nii-sama! Nii-sama!"

He stepped back to the escort's side and with calm, measured steps, left everything behind.

Well…almost everything…


	2. The Presentation

**Chapter 2: The Presentation**

Byakuya kept his eyes fixed on the ground just ahead of him as his escorts ranged around him, hardly seeming to notice he was there. They would have been aware and responding quickly had he dared to take a single stray step, but there was nowhere he could go that the Spirit King could not reach, so there was no point in running. He stepped forward with a calm countenance because there was nothing else to be done. He carefully avoided thinking about what he had left behind and focused instead on living in each moment as it happened, making what decisions were his, and not thinking about what awaited him at the palace. He had little idea what to expect, for the most part, but the word 'consort' carried enough meaning to warn him about some things. He forced his mind away from that and contemplated the scenery.

As they passed into the spirit dimension, it seemed the very land around them changed. Everything that surrounded them had a misted, surreal feeling to it. The colors and sounds were vibrant and lovely, but his situation continued to leak back into his thoughts, keeping him from truly enjoying his otherwise dreamy surroundings. They walked along a long trail that wound through thick forest, but he felt already the nearness of open land and knew it would not be much longer before they arrived. He felt a chill pass through him, although the day was comfortably warm.

As they passed out of the trees and into the meadowlands, the palace rose up in the distance. And although he would have given anything to be allowed to leave this place and return home, he would have had to have been blind not to appreciate the beauty and artistry that went into the charming demesnes that lay before him. It was like something out of a fairy tale.

His family, although being noble and very well off, did not create large displays of wealth, instead opting for things that provided a peaceful and comfortable existence. The only thing truly impressive about Kuchiki Manor were the gardens. Here, the gardens were just the beginning. All of the buildings displayed a lovely symmetry and had obviously been crafted by the finest artisans. There was amazing detail in everything from the careful landscaping that blended color and light to deeply please the senses, to the inlaid detail in the walls and floors that one couldn't fully appreciate without spending hours poring over them. The steps they climbed were fine marble and the designs that swirled in their surface were somewhat hypnotic. The pattern changed and became lighter inside the palace, but as they entered, his attention was drawn away from the scenery.

They stepped into a large entry room and his guards melted away, leaving him with just his Royal Escort. The man smiled warmly at him as they paused to speak for a moment.

"Welcome to the palace, Royal Consort. I will take you first to the room you will occupy during the transition and then you will be presented to the Spirit King. He has been looking forward to your arrival here."

"What is the transition you speak of?" asked Byakuya, not really expecting a proper explanation, but having no one else to ask.

The escort smiled tolerantly.

"I shall leave it to the king to discuss the procedures with you. I am to take you to your quarters and to allow you to freshen up before we meet with the king."

He turned away, ending the conversation, and led Byakuya up a large staircase and down several long hallways, stopping at one of the doors near the end of one of them. He opened the door and motioned for Byakuya to enter.

"I will send in an attendant to assist you."

The door closed and Byakuya was left alone in the silent room. Like the rest of the palace, it was tastefully decorated and looked comfortable, but he was certain that nothing would allow him to feel comfortable now. He stood for a moment, contemplating what to do, then suddenly realized that his attendant would likely be undressing him and might find the letter he had brought from…he didn't dare complete the thought. Instead, he pulled out the envelope and slipped it in behind the books in one of the bookshelves. He returned to the center of the room and had busied himself with looking out the glass door onto the balcony, when the door opened and a young man entered. He walked to Byakuya and bowed solemnly.

"Welcome to the palace, Royal Consort. I am Torio. I am to be your personal attendant during your transition. If you will come with me, I shall prepare you for your meeting with the king."

Byakuya nodded silently and followed the youth through the doors and into the bathing room housed within his quarters. Torio carefully removed the kimono Byakuya's escort had dressed him in, then directed him into the large heated bath. To his surprise, the attendant removed all but a small wrap that went around his waist, covering his personal region, and stepped into the waist deep water with him.

"With your permission, Royal Consort," he said, waiting.

Byakuya simply nodded, not knowing what was expected. The attendant seemed satisfied and stepped closer. Byakuya stood still, having been made to endure such things at a much younger age, before abandoning them when he became master of the house. He only shivered slightly at the first touch of the attendant's hands, then he sighed and stared down at the rippling surface of the water, letting his breath move in and out as his body was moistened, carefully washed and rinsed clean. When the attendant stepped away again, he followed and was dried off and taken back into the dressing area in his room. The attendant treated his body with fine oils and combed out and dried his hair, then dressed him (strangely, Byakuya thought) in a finely made white yukata.

He stood, looking into the mirror and marveled at how different he looked with everything stripped away. He looked younger, smaller, and more vulnerable. And however well he might be concealing his emotions, he was even more pale. He hardly looked like himself at all.

"Come," said Torio, turning toward the door, "It is time for your presentation to the king."

Forcing down the feeling of anxiety that rose up at the words and carefully ignoring the fact he was only wearing the white yukata, he followed the youth out the door and along the hallways until they reached the doorway to the throne room. Torio turned and slipped a charm around his neck.

"The king's power requires that you wear this at all times around him during your transition…that way his power won't harm you. Do not remove it while in his presence."

Byakuya nodded, reaching up to touch the gold charm briefly. He was distracted away from it as the doors were pulled open from the inside and he was led into the throne room.

The king stood as he entered, walking down the steps in front of the throne and coming to a stop in front of the noble. He studied the tall, raven haired shinigami, admiring the lines and curves of his body, the fall of his hair, the smoky gray eyes…all just as he had expected. He smiled and reached out, touching a porcelain cheek and raising the eyes to look in deeper.

"Beautiful," he said softly, "You are everything I imagined you would be…but then being of Kuchiki stock, how could you not be?"

Byakuya did not answer, but stood quietly, allowing the king to examine him. He felt a shiver pass through him at the man's touch and just a moment of gazing into the power-filled golden eyes left him chilled. He was a coldly beautiful man, Byakuya observed…and, he thought, a very dangerous one. He carefully said nothing and waited patiently until the king straightened and took his hand.

Byakuya barely managed to keep from flinching at the familiarity of the gesture. Anxiety rose up inside him again, undoing his determination to face everything calmly. There was something very wrong with what was happening…

"Come, Royal Consort," the king said in a deeply tranquil tone, "It is time to see to the making of our heir."

Byakuya froze, his body halting, eyes widening in surprise and his heart suddenly pounding. The king turned and the golden eyes gazed down at him. Sudden understanding flooded his features.

"Ah, you do not know…do you? I am sorry, Byakuya. I should have explained. The transition you will undergo will leave you unable to create heirs. So we will create our heir and then commence with the process to remove your shinigami powers and spiritual pressure. The full process takes about a year, allowing time for the delivery of the heir."

"Was their no heir before?" Byakuya asked softly.

The king frowned.

"No…unfortunately, my current consort was not able to bear a child. She did indeed become pregnant, but miscarried," he explained.

"And how am I to bear a child, being that I am male?"

The king smiled.

"My reiatsu will be sent into your body and will bind with yours. It will form the child's reiatsu and will stabilize inside your body. When it has fully stabilized, the reiatsu will simply emerge from your body and take its infant form. It is a relatively painless process, not at all like that of the living folk. You needn't concern yourself. You will likely experience some minor symptoms as you progress, but it will be manageable for you. Now…come with me and we will make our heir."

There was no point in resisting. There was no question that this being, though looking like a shinigami, was something far more powerful. Resistance would result in only a delaying of the inevitable…if it even managed to delay things at all. So Byakuya took the hand offered and followed the king out of the throne room. He noted as they walked, that the guards kept their distance.

They left the throne room through a smaller door behind the thrones and passed through a hallway, then back into the larger hallways, turning several corners before stopping at a set of large double doors. The doors were opened and the king led him forward, into the room. It was several times larger than his quarters and luxuriously decorated. But though looking very comfortable, it left the noble with a cold feeling inside. He sensed the recent presence of another having been in the room…a woman. He wondered briefly if it had been the current consort and where she was now.

He felt a touch on his cheek and suddenly realized how close the king stood to him…and how near the bed they were. The monarch was silent now, his eyes growing intense as the doors closed and they were left alone. He felt the tie at his waist release and the king's hands rose and slipped the yukata off of his shoulders. He stood perfectly still as the clothing dropped away, his eyes on those of the king and his mind in forced calm.

The king removed his kimono and moved in close, wrapping his arms around Byakuya and bringing their bodies together. He pressed his lips to the noble's and Byakuya felt his legs suddenly give way. The king simply caught him up and placed him on the bed, then climbed onto the bed beside him and brought his body down onto Byakuya's.

The contact wasn't terribly unpleasant. He had been to bed with his wife and so was not naïve, but he had never been touched by another man before. The king's lips were firmer and more demanding than his wife's had been…and the arms that held him were stronger and less yielding. But he knew, as the king's hands began to explore his body, that things would be very different indeed…all too soon.

The firm lips parted and the king's tongue pushed past his lips and into his mouth. He yielded, but hesitantly, earning a mumble of discontent from the other. The other's tongue sank in deeply, curling around and capturing his, then moving on to touch everywhere inside his mouth. The king made a satisfied sound and his hands tightened for a moment, then released. And as he continued kissing Byakuya his hands continued moving as well, stroking the skin of his throat. Sliding down his chest, caressing the soft abdomen and moving down lower to touch him more intimately. Byakuya couldn't quite suppress a shiver at the touch of the man's hand on his thickening member. He felt a blush rising on his cheeks and the king laughed softly against his lips.

"Not to worry," he whispered, moving on to kiss the pale skin of the noble's throat, "You will get used to having me touch you. We are going to be married as soon as the former consort fades away. Then we will be together every night. For now, this is the one night we have…until you have made the transition."

Byakuya felt some relief at that. It bolstered him, thinking he would have more time to cope with the idea before it became a permanent situation. Still, it didn't remove him from the situation he was in.

He realized suddenly that the king had stopped and was staring at his face.

"You aren't enjoying this, are you?" he asked softly, "And why would you? Likely, you are still somewhat in shock from the sudden change. I would have preferred to take things more slowly as well, but I assure you that it is done this way out of necessity."

"I understand, my lord," Byakuya answered, regaining some sense of calm from the reassurance.

Seemingly satisfied with his response, the king resumed kissing him on the face and throat, his hand wrapping around Byakuya's length, moving erotically and sending what should have been pleasant waves of sensation through him. His body was responding now, but his mind refused to cooperate. He forced down the feelings of revulsion that rose up inside and tried to distract himself by studying the king's eyes, his pleased expression, his strong shoulders…anything…

"I want you to touch me," the king's voice said in a firm, yet not unkind tone.

Swallowing hard, he loosened his hands and let them slide down the king's long, straight back. The sound that emerged from the man on top of him made him catch his breath. Then, he had it taken away again as the hand around him released him and moved down lower, stroking warmly, then moving down more and touching him at his entrance. He shivered uncontrollably as the king paused and pulled his hand away…returning moments later with his fingers coated in something wet. Byakuya forced himself to concentrate on the task the king had given him. As the man began to prepare him for their joining, he ran his hands over the king's powerful chest and shoulders, making the man smile and lean down to kiss him again. He forced himself to relax and his body to cooperate.

"Very good," the king breathed against his skin, "You are committed to making our union successful. That is very good. It will make things easier for both of us."

The preparation intensified and Byakuya shook softly at the discomfort, but the pain wasn't unbearable, just different. The king nipped hungrily at his lips and bit his throat harder, his touches becoming rougher and more passionate. He seemed to be getting impatient and there was a growing discontent in his eyes as he waited for Byakuya's body to adjust. He added a third finger and Byakuya's body recoiled at the pain. The king muttered an apology, but continued moving with greater haste and less care. Finally, he removed his fingers and pushed the noble's legs open wide. He positioned himself between them and pushed into the somewhat prepared entrance, slowing when he felt Byakuya's hands tighten involuntarily or the noble made a sound of pain. Once fully inside, he lowered himself onto Byakuya, kissing him eagerly and reaching down to caress him as he adjusted. He began thrusting before Byakuya felt he was quite ready, and there was pain, but he bit down on his lip and breathed through it.

The pain slowly eased, and the king's hand continued to pleasure him, drawing his mind away from the uncomfortable feeling of being penetrated. Gradually, he relaxed more in both mind and body and began to move with the body on top of his, not quite knowing what his body felt suddenly hungry for, but instinctively straining toward it. He shifted, changing the angle of the king's thrusting and felt the other's hardness strike a place inside him that send his thoughts spinning away and dragged a cry of pleasure from deep inside his throat. The king smiled and thrust in hard, several more times, watching closely as Byakuya's eyes closed and the noble's lovely body shuddered heavily under his. Hot seed poured out onto their skin in sharp pulses. The king thrust in deeply and held Byakuya tightly, emptying himself into the noble, whispering words of affection and nipping warmly at his throat and ear.

The king laid on top of him for some time after, kissing him and mumbling his appreciation. Byakuya said nothing, but returned the king's kisses as expected, then watched as the monarch fell asleep, still inside him. He sighed softly, turning his head to look out at the stars and moon…comforted by the fact that they hadn't been taken away with everything else. He drifted off in the king's arms, too tired and lost to even consider what would come next.

He woke some time later to find himself alone in the king's bed. As though on cue, the door opened and Torio entered. He bent and retrieved Byakuya's yukata from the floor, then placed it back around him and led him back to his quarters. Byakuya let his mind drift as the attendant carefully bathed him again and brought him a fresh yukata. Overwhelmed by all that had happened, he slipped into the soft, comfortable bed and fell asleep, forgetting for the moment about the letter that still sat, unopened, behind the books on the bookshelf. He fell asleep so quickly that he didn't even notice when Torio turned out the lights and left the room.


	3. The Fading Consort

**Chapter 3: The Fading Consort**

Byakuya opened his eyes and felt an odd disorientation at not being in his own room. He was, of course, accustomed to times when he and his squad would sleep outside on the battlefield, and the occasional assignments in the living world sometimes required longer stays away from home as well. But now home wasn't home anymore. Like it or not, the room he woke in was his room for the next year…until the transition was over.

He hadn't had much time to ponder the transition. He had been distracted when the king gave his partial explanation, but the few words he had said came back to Byakuya and sent a shiver through him.

Removal of his shinigami powers…

Removal of his spiritual pressure…

And without these, he understood that the link he held with Senbonzakura would fail. In the absence of his spirit, Senbonzakura would weaken and eventually die. He felt tears in his eyes, but forced them away. He hadn't known that he would have to give up so much. Senbonzakura was part of his own soul. And the powers he held within…his spiritual pressure…those things were all he had to protect the ones he loved.

Except that he no longer had any way to reach the ones he loved…so how could he protect them anyway?

He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. As he did, the door opened and Torio entered the room. He smiled cordially and opened the closet, revealing a row of beautifully made kimonos.

"Good morning, sir. Do you have a favorite color? I would be happy to have something made for you if you cannot find something you like here."

Byakuya climbed out of bed and looked through his choices. All of them were beautifully styled and exactly his size. He felt inexplicably unnerved by that fact. He sighed to hide the emotion and selected a light gray with a simple, but elegant darker gray pattern on it.

"This will look very nice with your hair and eyes, sir," Torio said, taking the yukata from him.

He dressed the noble in the chosen kimono, then stepped back to examine him for a moment.

"It looks even better than I thought it would," Torio observed, "Now, if you will join me, I believe you are accustomed to a walk in the gardens before breakfast, are you not?"

Suddenly, Byakuya realized that the king must have been telling him the truth when he mentioned having watched him for a long time. He felt sick inside, wondering at how closely he had been watched…and why. Again, he got the strong feeling that something wasn't right with what was happening, but having lost his bearings and not knowing how things were supposed to be in the spirit realm, he had no idea whether or not he was right in thinking as he did.

"Come, sir, I will show you to the king's garden."

He followed Torio silently, watching the turning of hallways and carefully memorizing where things were. He supposed that eventually, he wouldn't need to be led or followed everywhere. He wouldn't need to be watched constantly and then he would want to know where things were. He stopped himself, that odd feeling of wrongness passing over him again.

Even for being new to the realm, it seemed he was meticulously watched, instructed, controlled. It was expected that he would accept whatever he was told to do…and so far, he had…mostly because he accepted that he had no choice, that this was his life now, that resistance was pointless in his new fate. But there was, he thought, something very wrong with that. He thought carefully about Torio, about the escort…and the guardsmen…and he realized something odd.

They all had the same odd look in their eyes…and they all looked at him as if he gave them something to fear…

He was reminded of people under a kind of hypnosis or mental control. But if the others were controlled, then why wasn't he? He still retained his own mind. And maybe that is why the ones who did not would fear him. That would make him unpredictable. He wondered then, what would happen if he defied them?

"Come sir, this way," Torio said, breaking into his reverie.

He followed his attendant quietly, but continued to memorize the hallways and corridors. They reached the throne room and Byakuya was relieved to note that the king was not present. Moving past the two tall thrones, Torio led him out a door behind them and into the king's garden.

Byakuya stopped and stared…

The garden was not just a garden, but like another world, extending out from the palace. Every kind of tree, flower and plant he had ever seen grew there and animals roamed around freely. He spotted scores of different kinds of birds, deer, horses. And they all seemed unafraid of him or of each other.

"Do you like this place, my Byakuya?" said the king's voice, startling him.

A strong arm slipped around his waist and the king started walking, leaving Byakuya with little choice but to go along with him. He continued to look at the noble as they walked and Byakuya remembered that the king had asked him a question.

"It is enchanting," he offered solemnly.

"And you seem to fit right in," the king commented, "I was hoping that you would like it. I imagined since you walked in the gardens at your manor, you would enjoy the ones here."

"It is lovely," Byakuya admitted, "but it is quite different. I designed the lay of the gardens at my home to instill a sense of calm and peacefulness. I walked in the morning to gather my energy and in the evening to unwind before sleeping. These grounds are so filled with stimulation as to be exhilarating, but would hardly ready me for either work or sleep."

The king laughed softly.

"You are beyond the need to work, my Byakuya. The only work for you in this place is balancing my power. Once the transition is complete, it will be your only task."

"But I shall have to give up my powers…my zanpakutou…" Byakuya said, lowering his eyes.

The king stopped him and placed a hand on his face.

"That is the price that your choosing demands," he explained, "but leaving those things behind makes you able to provide the balance so necessary to maintaining our worlds."

He kissed the noble gently and walked on, his arm still around Byakuya.

"My lord," Byakuya said as respectfully as he could, "the zanpakutou…and a shinigami's power are not just things. They are a part of that person. And without them, the soul is no longer complete, but it becomes empty."

The king looked at him sternly out of the corner of an eye.

"The emptiness you feel will be compensated for. We will live in harmony with each other. There is nothing you need, that I will not be able to provide."

"I need to see my sister."

The king waved his hand and Rukia's image appeared on the surface of the pond next to him.

"You may watch her to your heart's content."

"But I cannot hear her voice, touch her, speak to her."

The king stopped and the hands that came to rest on his shoulders were slightly tightened with carefully restrained anger. Byakuya met the golden eyes, but felt as though they were beginning to burn into him. He flinched and caught his breath.

"You are new to the spirit dimension so it will take time for you to adjust. You will adjust more quickly if you do not focus on what was left behind. There is plenty here to fill the hours of your day…and the place you serve here is far more important than the places you filled in the Gotei 13 and your clan. Do not fall victim to misplaced pride, my consort. It would only end in causing undue pain."

He passed his hand over the water and the image of Rukia disappeared.

"Come, let us forget this momentary unpleasantness. I must instruct you in how your shinigami powers and spiritual pressure will be removed."

The king sat down beneath a tree, and motioned for Byakuya to sit as well. He turned the noble so that he sat between the king's knees, with his back rested against the man's chest. A hand rose to his throat and began to remove the charm. Byakuya gasped and his hand rose to stop the charm's removal. The king's hand gently pushed his away.

"I know they will have told you not to remove it, but to remove your powers requires short exposures to my reiatsu. Relax."

Byakuya leaned back against the king's chest, trying to breathe normally as the charm was removed. But nothing could have prepared him for the sensation of the breath being ripped from his body, the feeling of being slowly deprived of life and breath. A soft, strangled gasp escaped him and he felt the king's fingers running through his hair…a soft, reassuring voice in his ear, then gentle pressure on his lips. He closed his eyes against the awful, tearing sensation, a moan escaping as he felt himself lowered onto the grass.

He sensed that something more was happening to his body. His clothes were loosened and the king's hands were touching him, but his mind dropped away and he couldn't be sure of the nature of those touches. He heard the sound of incoherent screams, mingled with a voice that seemed to be trying to reassure him. He heard someone say his name and then felt himself lifted and carried. His mind spun harder, trying to surface, but not able to break free of the weight that dragged him down. Worried voices sounded around him, mingled with the sound of someone crying. There were hands on his face and voices that said his name repeatedly. He sighed and sank deeper into the comforting darkness, and for a time, everything disappeared.

When he surfaced again, his head ached horribly. His hand reached for the charm and found that it had been returned to his throat. He forced his eyes open and studied the room he was in.

_The infirmary…then something went wrong…_

There was someone sitting next to him, a soft hand touching his. He remembered the reiatsu and squinted, trying to bring her into focus. The features struck him as being familiar, but there was a dreadful whiteness to her skin, hair and face that made her look ghostly.

"You…" he whispered, "You are…"

She smiled down at him.

"I am Kirio Hikifune. I am the king's fading consort," she said softly, "and unless I miss my guess, you are Kuchiki Byakuya."

She was the first to use his surname since he had arrived. He tried to sit up, but his head began to spin and he fell back, gasping.

"Don't try to move too much. That fool nearly killed you. He should have known to let you get your bearings before beginning, but truly, he is in a hurry to prepare you."

"Why?" asked Byakuya, "Why would he be in a hurry?"

"You are a powerful shinigami, Byakuya. And while you retain your powers, you are unpredictable…dangerous. Didn't you notice the way everyone here looks at you?"

"I don't understand," he said, sitting up slowly.

His eyes narrowed as he thought back.

"I have noticed the way they look at me…all as though they're unnerved by me…as though they're intimidated or worried."

He turned his head to meet her eyes.

"But you…" he said, observing her closely, "Your eyes are not like that…and you do not look as though you fear me."

The pale woman shook her head.

"I do not fear you, Byakuya. I am afraid for you. Tell me, have you noticed anything odd about this place? These people?"

Byakuya forced his still spinning mind to focus.

"They seem to always know when I wake…when I am ready to change clothes, eat…everything. They do everything for me, but that is not unheard of. They shy away from answering my questions…they are evasive."

"And how do you find your king, Byakuya?" she asked, lowering her voice as a healer walked by the room.

Byakuya took a long breath.

"Hurried…He seems in a great hurry for me to make this transition. Kirio…you were a shinigami. Please tell me that you understand me thinking it wrong to be forced to lose so much of myself!" he said urgently.

The pale woman looked into his eyes with sympathy.

"It is wrong," she said softly, "It is very wrong. Byakuya, you need to know…"

"Ah, so the two of you have met," said the king's voice from the door.

Byakuya felt a chill pass through him at the tone in the king's voice.

"So, my Byakuya, what do you think of my present consort?" he asked, something odd in his voice.

"She…has been helpful in making me understand my role here, so that I might please you, my lord," he said carefully.

The king smiled at the woman.

"Thank you, Kirio, I will see Byakuya alone now."

The woman said nothing, but simply nodded and left the room. Byakuya felt fury building up inside. He knew things were going on that he did not understand and it made him want to fly into a rage, to burst from the palace and fight his way free. And now, Kirio had confirmed his suspicions that something was going on. Something was wrong. But knowing something was wrong wasn't enough to get him free. And he couldn't get free by himself. He needed to find Kirio again and talk to her. But he couldn't do it with so many people watching. He wasn't able yet to determine when and where it was safe. But he imagined that he might not have to. In fact, it seemed as though Kirio would come to him…

"Now then, Byakuya," said the king, "How are you feeling? Apparently you were not up to handling the first power drain. Not to worry, you will get used to them. We will do this each morning, first thing. With time, you will hardly react to them anymore."

Byakuya felt his blood raging.

_How can he sit here and speak so calmly of stripping away my life! That's what this is…Drained of my power…no spiritual pressure…no zanpakutou…I'll be but the shell of a person. And I can see it in his eyes. He cannot wait to do this to me!_

He knew better than to cross the king directly. His powers were not enough to overcome him. Instead, he must play along. He had to continue to placate the king. But perhaps he could slow the transition process. He had to slow things down…had to find Kirio…and he had to find a way to break free. His heart pounded at the thought. How, he wondered, did one run away from a god?


	4. Voice From the Past

**Chapter 4: Voice From the Past**

"So what did you think of your first taichou's meeting?" Ukitake taichou asked Renji.

Renji tried to smile, but although his lips curved upward, his eyes gave away the dark emotion beneath.

"It was good…" he forced out, "I just…it's just wrong without Taichou here."

He blinked and reconsidered his words.

"Without Byakuya," he corrected himself.

He was a taichou now. He was supposed to act like one…and that meant he could call Byakuya by his first name…not that his former taichou would hear.

"Damn!" he hissed softly, "This is really hard…I just wish that…he could have talked to me, you know? I just want to know why he's gone there. I want to know why he can't come back…why he can't even contact Rukia. She's falling apart…"

Ukitake nodded sympathetically and leaned close to the redhead.

"Come with me," he said softly.

They left the first division and walked back toward the sixth division. Ukitake said no more on the subject, but made small talk as they walked and Renji made short answers as best he could while only being half able to listen. They reached the sixth division and entered the office.

"Can we talk in your quarters?" Ukitake asked.

Renji nodded and led him into the hallway, nearly turning into the fukutaichou's quarters, but remembering at the last moment and turning the other way instead. It felt strange, opening Byakuya's door without knocking…entering while he wasn't there…knowing he would never be there again. Tears rose in his eyes and he blinked and rubbed them. Ukitake studied him for a moment and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Technically, I could get in trouble for talking about this outside of a taichou's meeting, but we are both taichous."

Renji's head came up and his face wore the expression of a drowning man just thrown a life preserver.

"You know what happened?" he asked desperately, "Please, tell me what's going on! He just gave up everything and…and left! I could tell that he didn't want to go…but he had to, for some reason. If you know why he had to do this, then please…tell me!"

Ukitake met his eyes cautiously.

"Renji, you may not speak of this to anyone. I will tell you, so that you know…but it is information we would be severely punished for speaking aloud of. If we were overheard…"

"I promise…I won't say anything…just tell me, please!" Renji pleaded, "No one will tell me anything!"

"All right, all right. I admit that I think you should know. Renji, how well did you read the agreement you signed when you became a taichou?" Ukitake asked.

Renji frowned in confusion.

"Well, I've read it in detail…and Byakuya did too. We always understood that it was a possibility, but we always assumed that a woman would be chosen…mostly because only one man has been and…well…he refused and was executed."

"Refused? Refused what?" Renji asked.

"Our Spirit King is a complicated being, one who is responsible for maintaining balance in our worlds. But to maintain that balance, he must have a consort to balance him."

"A…consort? Like a queen?"

"Yes, like that," Ukitake explained, "but of course, our king is allowed to choose a male or a female from the ranks of the Royal Guard to be his consort."

"B-but Byakuya wasn't in the Royal Guard!" Renji objected, "and what the fuck is that…he gets to choose? Ukitake taichou…Byakuya was devastated! He didn't want to go!"

"Well, as you know, the king's word is law, Renji. And if he cannot find a suitable counterpart among the Royal Guards, he may also choose from among the taichous of the Gotei 13."

"He…what?" Renji asked, tilting his head in askance, "He…you mean…you…or I could be…Byakuya was…chosen by him?"

Ukitake nodded solemnly.

"A messenger arrived with the announcement and gave him seven days to put his affairs in order."

"So…my promotion…and the new clan leader…and leaving…"

"He had to obey the summons or he would have been hunted down by the Royal Guards and executed on the Sokyoku!" Ukitake announced.

"Oh my kami…poor Taichou! No wonder he was so…"

Renji sighed.

"So he went to be the king's consort. Why can't he come back at all? Why can't we see him?"

Ukitake shook his head.

"No one outside the spirit dimension knows exactly why. But Renji, Byakuya…he will be all right. He's a strong shinigami…He'll find a way to cope."

Renji shook his head.

"Why the fuck should he have to cope?"

He shook his head.

"Some honor…being ripped away from everything you know…having your life taken away from you. I understand the king needing a consort to balance him. That makes sense, but why all of the secrecy? And why does it mean he has to be gone forever?"

"I don't know, Renji," sighed Ukitake, "I am worried too. But there isn't anything that we can do. We're forbidden to even talk about it. And we cannot enter the spirit dimension…"

Something clicked in Renji's mind. He closed his eyes and took a breath.

"Thank you, Ukitake taichou."

"Please, call me Juushirou," Ukitake corrected him.

"Juushirou," said Renji, smiling, "Thank you for telling me. I understand now."

He watched silently as the white haired shinigami left the room and closed the door.

Some fucking honor, huh? Get torn out of your life and have to go live in that other dimension, away from everything you know. And everything in me tells me that you didn't want to leave us Taichou! But what can I do? The only one who knows where the key to that dimension is, is Soutaichou…and I don't think he's going to break the law by letting me borrow it! But if not him…then…

Renji swallowed hard, a chill passing through him as another person's name rose in his mind. He pushed the thought away vehemently. He wan't desperate enough to turn to Aizen Sousuke…not yet, anyway.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya moved close to his bedroom door, the floor cooling his bare feet. It was late at night, but as he reached the door, he felt the spiritual pressure of guards just outside. One of them stirred and the noble stepped back as the door opened.

"Is everything all right, sir?" the guard asked, "Did you need something?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"My apologies, I was just…pacing. I am not used to being here yet."

"Ah," said the guard, his face turning friendly, "I know how that feels. I was pretty uncomfortable too. I just learned to relax and not let myself worry too much. You will get used to it here, sir."

Byakuya nodded.

"Arigato…for calming my nerves."

The guard smiled.

"Whatever I can do to help," he said, closing the door between them.

Byakuya turned back to the bed. His head still throbbed and his body ached fiercely…and worse than either of those was the ache in his heart. It was wrong to be taken away from everyone he cared about, to be locked up, far from his home and made to give up everything. And it didn't make sense that one should have to be sacrificed so…just to keep balance. It was, in fact, unbalancing his life…and the lives of all of the consorts…to have to do this. In worlds that were supposed to be based on balance, it made no sense…

He tried to do as he had been since he arrived, to push it from his mind, but the hopelessness…the dread…the weight of loss was too much. Tears rose in his eyes and despite his resolve to hold them back, they found their way out of his eyes and down his face…and being alone, he simply let them fall.

The door opened again and a guard approached him. Byakuya tried again to stop the tears, but they just fell harder. He said nothing and no sound left him, but the wetness on his cheeks just increased despite his attempts to stop them.

"Sir, are you all right?" the guard asked, motioning to a second guard, who dashed off down the hallway.

Byakuya didn't answer, but simply sat silent and staring down at the bed. He felt the king's reiatsu approaching, but couldn't make himself respond, not even when the king entered the room. The monarch looked down at him sympathetically and moved closer, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Byakuya," the king said quietly, "You must let go of these thoughts."

He pulled the noble into his arms and brought his head down onto his shoulder.

"The life that you led before is over. You have begun a new life here in the spirit dimension. You have people here who care about you and they are trying very hard to make you feel comfortable. You are not helping yourself to adjust by dwelling on the past. Come…you have been alone too much, I think."

He took Byakuya's hand and helped him to his feet. They walked out of his room and down the hallways until they came to the king's bedroom. As they stepped inside, Byakuya saw Kirio sitting up in bed and gazing at the two of them.

"My dear," said the king quietly, "It seems that Byakuya is having a difficult time adjusting. I was wondering if I might ask you to sleep in the next chamber tonight, so that I might offer him comfort."

He felt the woman's eyes on him, but didn't want to look at her face. Kirio climbed out of bed and approached him.

"Byakuya," she said softly, "I was once new here, too. Would you like to talk for a while?"

He didn't know how, but his voice suddenly returned to him.

"Please," he whispered.

The king frowned and gave Kirio a warning glance, then turned and left the room. As soon as he was gone, Kirio returned to the bed and motioned for him to join her. He sat down, quiet and dry-eyed, but so tired, he could barely focus. Kirio wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"This place is wearing too greatly on you, Byakuya. I don't think the king realizes how badly it is affecting you. He tries to manage your emotions by ignoring them, but they will move beyond what he can ignore. You have to get out of here."

"I can't leave," Byakuya whispered, "I can't run from him. There is nowhere I can go to hide from a god."

Kirio sighed heavily and dropped her head onto his shoulder. Byakuya held still, his mind spinning with pain, but comforted somewhat by this other who understood what he was feeling.

"I understand…but you have to understand. Byakuya…you have too much heart…and the heart is what you lose when you come here like we have. Look at me. Day by day, he drains more and more of my life away. And day by day, more and more…I fade. Soon, I will be gone. And he has already begun to feed on you."

Byakuya's eyes grew intense and he gripped the edge of the bed tightly.

"So this is the 'honor' associated with balancing his power," he whispered, "But how can this be? How can he need to take so much from one to sustain the rest? It defies the concept of balance…"

Kirio gazed at him for a moment.

"Think, Byakuya, what manner of being would do something like drain others to create the balance? Doesn't that seem wrong?"

"Yes…I know. But if it is wrong, then what has happened? Why is he like this? And why are you and I the only ones who question his motives, his actions?"

Kirio met his eyes sadly.

"His power is very profound…and the ones here with us are all marked as the king's own. I believe that his mark controls them, keeps them from asking questions. It somehow binds them. But you and I were never marked that way. The charm is our only protection until we are drained, then we are no longer a threat. Look at me. I am fading because he is stealing my life. He will do the same to you over time, but, Byakuya, you are a stronger shinigami than I was. And because shinigami power is ruled by the heart, when that heart is slowly drained, we weaken and die. Oddly, the stronger the shinigami, the faster our lives are lost. You will live longer than you would have as a shinigami, but you will not survive as many years beyond your normal span as I have outlived mine. As I said, you have too much heart…You will be drained more quickly, once your transition is over."

"But what can be done?" asked Byakuya softly, "We have no way to escape him?"

Kirio looked up at him in surprise.

"We?" she queried softly.

Byakuya's troubled eyes met hers.

"Yes…I said 'we.'"

Her eyes softened and she smiled at him sadly.

"As kind as you are to concern yourself with me, I am already fading. I cannot be saved, Byakuya. I lost my chance…long ago."

She sighed.

"I tried once to get a message out of the spirit dimension and to Aizen Sousuke, but…"

"Aizen Sousuke?" Byakuya repeated softly, "Why would you turn to a traitor like him?"

"A traitor, you say?" Kirio asked, blinking, "I knew him back then…a strong shinigami, but always held back by the facts of his peasant birth. I thought that if anyone could think of something to do, he could."

"Aizen Sousuke betrayed us all," Byakuya said, his eyes growing distant, "He pretended to be one thing, but he was another. He would be no help. He only wants to overthrow the king."

"I see," said Kirio skeptically, "and does your experience here lead you to believe he is wrong to do that…or that he is right?"

Byakuya stared at her in confusion.

"I…"

The door opened and the king stepped back into the room. He gazed at Byakuya and nodded approvingly.

"I see your talk with Kirio has eased your mind. I rather thought it would."

Byakuya nodded.

"I apologize, my lord…for allowing my thoughts of the past to interfere. I have begun to resolve those feelings, thanks to Kirio."

The king smiled.

"She understands the way of things very well."

"Yes," said Byakuya softly, "she does. Thank you, my lady"

"Then you are content to return to your room, Byakuya?" the king asked, "Kirio would not mind if you spent the night with me…"

"Arigato, my lord. You are kind to want to comfort me…however, I feel much better and only wish to regain my strength by sleeping now."

The king frowned, but nodded.

"Go then," he said, turning toward the bed, "a guard will return you to your room."

Byakuya nodded and turned out of the room. The guard fell in with him and the two walked silently back to Byakuya's room. The guard opened the door and watched as Byakuya climbed into bed. Nodding in approval, he closed the door.

As soon as the door closed, Byakuya leaned over the edge of the bed and down into the bookshelf. He pulled out the envelope from Aizen Sousuke and stared at it. The writing on the outside was somewhat faded, but he knew that the words within would look freshly written. He didn't know why he wanted to read it now. It wouldn't change his situation…but perhaps might help him find some kind of closure…

With trembling hands, he opened the envelope. Something fell out and into his lap.

_A soul communicator?_

He set it aside and picked up the letter. Swallowing hard, he began to read. As his eyes moved down the page, they widened and grew tormented. Tears returned, but knowing that they would be sensed, he held them back.

_Oh my kami! He knew! He knew and he tried to tell me!_

And while he couldn't have known and wouldn't have expected that Byakuya would ever be chosen as consort…he had inadvertently handed his former friend a small bit of hope.

_It probably won't work from here…or it won't have power…but…_

With a pounding heart, he opened the communicator and punched in the code. There was a long pause and then a soft, gentle voice answered.

"Who is this?"

Byakuya felt his throat constrict and desperate tears filled his eyes.

"Hello?" the voice said.

"Sousuke," Byakuya released in a whispered sob, "Sousuke!"

"Byakuya…"


	5. The Promise

**Chapter 5: The Promise**

Aizen Sousuke looked up through the thick glass dome ceiling in his bedroom and thanked kami the moon and stars were still there for him to look at. Everything else in Hueco Mundo was either not worth looking at or just not worth his time. He hated having been forced to come to the desert world at all, but there had been little choice…and once Gin had stooped to blackmail, it seemed that there was no choice at all. But he needed the strength of the hollows if he was to overthrow the king. Hollow strength to overcome an empty monarchy…

He sighed softly, gazing up at the stars. It had been so long since he had been able to go out into the night and walk forest trails, smell the sweetness of flowers, feel rain falling onto his skin. Of course, he could visit the living world or slip into the Seireitei to experience these things, but he had to be careful. Caught between Gin, the Gotei 13 and the very hollows he had made to use to overthrow the king, he was in a rather guarded position…one that wasn't likely to improve.

He had the hougyoku, yes, and the fighting power…but he lacked a way into the spirit dimension. He had to have that before he could make his move against the king. He was deeply concerned about the cost, however…so many lives to create the king's key…But he was backed into a corner. Gin had issued an ultimatum…create the key or face annihilation of his plans.

He hated the silver haired shinigami with a passion…

"Snake," he whispered.

He dared not turn his back on the other. He kept Gin carefully occupied preparing the hollows for battle, making changes to them to make them stronger, punishing the ones who stepped out of line…and there were quite a few of those. He shook his head. He knew for certain that any battle against the spirit king was going to be messy…not only because of the strength of the king, but for the fact that the hollows were so likely to turn on them once the king was overthrown…but then, his own power, bolstered by Gin's should, he thought, enable him to control them…if he survived the battle and was in good enough shape…

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply…longing for fresh air…something besides sand under his feet…

He dropped down onto his bed and started to drift off. As his eyes opened to take a last look at the moon, a shooting star passed over. It was so bright that it left a huge fire trail, but not so fast that he couldn't make a wish. Aizen Sousuke closed his eyes and wished for the same thing that he had for over five years…ever since he had come to Hueco Mundo. As if on cue, his soul communicator buzzed. Frowning, he picked it up and opened it.

"Who is this?" he asked sleepily.

There was a long pause and he heard someone catch their breath.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end of the line sounded shattered. He could hear tears in the soft, deep and heartbreakingly familiar voice.

"Sousuke," he sobbed in a frightened whisper, "Sousuke…"

Aizen froze, the name falling from his lips like sweet music.

"Byakuya…"

There was a long pause and he could hear the noble take a shuddering breath. Chills shot through him. He had never heard Byakuya sound so torn, so broken up.

"Byakuya…what's wrong? What is happening?" he asked quickly.

"I need your help, Sousuke," Byakuya breathed, still whispering, "I'm in the spirit dimension…"

"What in kami's name are you doing there? Did you get promoted to the Royal Guard?" he asked.

"No…no…I…"

The voice broke off and Aizen could feel him struggling for words. He knew he needed to calm the noble if he was going to be of any help to him.

"Byakuya…I had given up on ever hearing from you…" he said softly, "I wondered if somehow you hadn't gotten my letter."

"I found it a week after you left…after I came home from the healing center. I…I was devastated…and I was afraid of what you would say…of what I might find. I didn't want it all to be true…that you would betray us, that you would turn against all we stand for…that you would order Gin to kill my sister. I heard your order over and over in my mind…and I couldn't open the letter. I kept it…in my nightstand, but I never opened it. Then…about a week ago…a royal messenger came to the Seireitei and told me that…Sousuke…I should have opened this letter a long time ago…I would have…been with you. We could have faced this together. I wouldn't be doing this alone. He would never have put his hands on me…"

"Bya, you're not making sense…Who put his hands on you? What did the royal messenger say?"

"He told me…that the Spirit King called me to be his next consort. Sousuke…Kirio Hikifune is fading. And when she is gone, the Spirit King will begin draining me of my life…as you said in your letter…"

"Byakuya…" Aizen whispered, his face paling, "Byakuya, listen. I have the firepower, the hollows I need and everything is in place for us to attack…but I have to get into the spirit dimension…and as of yet, there is no way for me to find the key. I have to make one…but to do so requires the sacrifice of millions of souls!"

"You need a key…" Byakuya repeated, "Sousuke…the king wears a key. When the time comes for the attack, I could try to steal it…"

Aizen closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

"I'm worried about a full scale attack…worried you might be swept up in it. Byakuya, I didn't know that there would be anyone on the inside. With you there, it is possible that I won't need to use the hollow army…at least not at first."

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked.

"I need to get you out of the line of fire. I think I'll need to come in after you."

"You can't fight the king alone!" Byakuya objected, "Sousuke, he's far too strong, even for the two of us! And Kirio can't help as she's fading."

"I might be able to help with that," Aizen said, thinking.

"How?"

"Just you let me worry about that. Look, Bya…I want you to listen very carefully. I am going to prepare to come in for you…you and Kirio. But while I prepare to do that, you must not upset the king. He is, as you probably know, very volatile."

"I know…His behavior is…uneven. He is very cold…very unfeeling."

"Well, that actually makes sense," said Aizen, "because the Spirit King has been corrupted, Byakuya. He isn't what he used to be, but he is now a very, very dangerous…hollow god…"

"A hollow god?" Byakuya repeated, his voice filled with shock.

"Yes," said Aizen solemnly, "He used to be our king, but he became corrupted…and lost his heart, his ability to properly channel and feel emotion. He doesn't have a hole in his chest, but he is a hollow of a very advanced and dangerous kind. You must avoid angering him."

"Hai…I will try. Sousuke, I have a question. Who will you bring with you? Not Gin…"

"No," agreed Aizen, "I will not bring Gin."

"Then who? Who will come with you?"

"Not a hollow…"

"No…if he is a hollow, another hollow won't be any challenge…"

"Byakuya…I don't have anyone I would trust not to stab me in the back…"

"Renji…Sousuke, you could bring Renji!" Byakuya said, life coming back into his voice, "He leads the sixth division now. He's strong enough…and if you can…approach him at night…I can contact you and talk to him."

"Byakuya," Aizen said, a smirk coming to his lips, "Are you telling me that I should abduct Abarai Renji?"

"Well," said Byakuya quietly, "I don't foresee him going along with you willingly. But as I said, I can contact you at night and I can talk to Renji…convince him!"

"Well…he is strong enough, I think…" Aizen said thoughtfully, "Very well then. I will _acquire_ Abarai Renji and attempt to convince him to help. I'm certain once he hears your voice that he will help."

"Arigato, Sousuke…" Byakuya said in an affected voice, "It is so good to hear your voice…to not feel so alone here."

Aizen was silent for a moment.

"Byakuya," he said finally, "I know it's selfish if me to ask…I know you need my help and I am going to help you…but I wonder…have you given any thought…to what I said near the end of my letter?"

There was a long silence.

"I…I don't know," Byakuya admitted, "I…a lot has happened. I thought that you betrayed us…and I…Sousuke…"

"It wasn't a fair question," said Aizen, closing his eyes tightly, "I told you I would understand if you did not want to be with me…I will still come for you…and we figure things out later."

"Sousuke, I didn't say no. I said…I don't know. It's hard for me to think of anything but what's happening around me. The Spirit King…has already attempted to make an heir with me."

The reiatsu around Aizen rose suddenly and a glass on his nightstand shattered.

"I'll get you out of there…I swear it, Bya. I won't leave you there to be drained away into nothing."

"I'm sorry," Byakuya whispered.

"For what?" said Aizen softly, "For believing what you saw with your own eyes? For loving your sister and being devastated that someone you trusted ordered her death? That it seemed everything you knew about me was a lie? Byakuya, this is my fault too…There's blame enough to go around."

"I've missed you," whispered Byakuya, "I thought I'd never speak to you again."

"But you had nearly stopped speaking to me even before I left. You never explained why…"

"It was…because…Sousuke…I was confused. I felt like we wanted something that it was forbidden for us to have…"

Aizen felt a shock of hopefulness.

"You said…we…wanted…"

"Yes, Sousuke…I did. You see…I didn't stop speaking to you because I realized you were falling for me. I stopped, because I knew that if we fell for each other, we would be in violation of the rules. It wasn't that I didn't feel something for you…I was just…worried…and I didn't know what to say."

"It's okay," Aizen assured him, "Look…I have to go if I am going to find Renji and secure his help. Until we speak again, I want you to be careful. Do what the Spirit King tells you to do and don't cross him. Doing so could very well cost you your life. And I don't want to lose you…now that you know…and now that we have a chance to fix things."

"I will be careful," Byakuya promised, "and I will call you again tomorrow night."

"I will be waiting, Byakuya," Aizen promised.

Before the line went silent, he heard a very soft sob of relief.

"Bya…" he whispered.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke to the feeling of someone touching his face. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at the king.

"My lord," he murmured sleepily, "I am sorry. Was I late in waking?"

The king smiled.

"Do not worry, my Byakuya, I know last night was very difficult for you. I am glad that Kirio was able to assist you in feeling better about things. I want you to learn to feel comfortable here. I don't wish for you to be unhappy. I think that if you understand how much I feel for you, how genuine my feelings for you are, then perhaps you would have an easier adjustment.

"Arigato, my lord," Byakuya said, starting to sit up.

A warm hand came to rest on his shoulder. Byakuya turned his head to look at it for a moment.

"Wait," the king said quietly, "Before we get up and around, I think we should see to the removal of some of your power…"

Byakuya's eyes widened in distress, but he remembered Aizen's words and resolved not to anger the king.

"If…if you feel it is best…" he said softly.

"Lie down," said the king.

Byakuya felt a shiver of foreboding as the king's hand moved to the charm at his throat. He braced himself, but still recoiled from shock as the charm was removed and the king's power began to eat away at him…and that, he decided, was what was happening. The king's reiatsu was eating his. The king seemed to try to go easier this time, leaving Byakuya conscious as his power drained away. He groaned in pain and felt the king's lips touch his. The king's power rose and he felt himself sinking beneath it. He was nearly unconscious when he realized that his yukata had been opened and pushed out of the way and the king was lying on top of him, kissing him forcefully and thrusting into his unprepared body. He gasped and felt a hand touch his forehead, sending his mind into a spin…the pain fell away, but he still felt the harsh motion,

"N-no…no…s-stop…" he heard himself moan.

He opened his eyes and saw undisguised rage in the Spirit King's eyes at his words. Something struck his face and he reeled in shock as pain exploded in his head again.

"You need to remember," the king's voice said firmly, "I am your king. You are my consort. If I want you, I will take you…and you are to allow it without argument. Now sleep…"

He dropped away into the darkness again, his breath coming in short, delirious sobs. He felt the bed move and heard footsteps and a door closing. He rose up out of the darkness as the door opened again and Torio dashed into the room, looking pale and frightened.

"I'm to bathe you immediately, sir," he told Byakuya, "by order of the king…and then he has asked you to join him for breakfast in the gardens. It's a good day for it, ne?"

Byakuya could see the youth was unnerved. The king had seemed angered. He wondered briefly what exactly had happened while he was so delirious to make the king so angry.

"Torio, are you all right?" he asked softly.

"Oh…" said the youth quickly, "I'm just fine! I just have a lot of duties…and the king is anxious for us to be there. We must not delay. Come, sir. I will help you with your bath."

Not wanting to get the boy into trouble, Byakuya slid to the edge of the bed and started to climb out of bed. As he turned to follow Torio, another servant burst into the room and quickly began changing his bedding. But as Byakuya turned away, he felt the stinging pain in his body and clearly saw the blood that stained the sheets.


	6. Heartfelt

**Chapter 6: Heartfelt**

Byakuya followed Torio to the garden, his head lowered and his eyes on the ground a short distance ahead of him. As they passed through the throne room, he heard the king's voice.

"He is beautiful, Kirio. I have never seen such beauty. Of all of the nobles, he is the most powerful, the most comely…and his vulnerability only makes him more desirable."

"My lord," said Kirio's soft voice, "I wish you might do something for me…as a last request. Byakuya _is_ a lovely, powerful, and vulnerable shinigami…and it is good to see you are so taken with him. I wish that you might try to reach out to him…to think of his emotions…what he is going through. He is overwhelmed with his transition and you pressuring and taking advantage of him is damaging him. If you truly wish for him to survive and have significant time at your side, you must do a better job of taking care of him. I know that you must drain his reiatsu, but if you could do so more slowly…give him more time to adjust. That little bit of kindness you show him now will help him to understand your connection to him."

The king was silent for a moment.

"Are you certain, my consort, that you are not feeling jealous of Byakuya?" he asked quietly.

"I would not want to be Kuchiki Byakuya, because I could not bear what he must tolerate in being your consort. You never truly loved me…and I accept that. You would have chosen him them, had he not been so young. But you have the one you truly wanted. He is here and he cannot leave you except by dying. If you show him compassion and love, with everything else taken away and without anyone else to turn to, he could turn to you. He could learn to love you. Please…just…be kind to him. You will not be sorry for it."

"I have tried to be kind…"

"Using your power to dull his senses and then raping him is not kindness!"

"It is not rape. He belongs to me…answers to me…and must obey me. That is the rule of the law. Byakuya understands this."

"Listen to me. You have everything you've wanted in your hands…but you are destroying him. All you have to do is to look into his eyes and you won't see a man who is in love. You will see a man who is dying. He dies a little more every time you hurt him. And if you continue to hurt him, he will fade even more quickly than I have. He will not even reach beyond his natural years as a shinigami…and could even fall significantly shorter. Think about that, Yoshiaki. If you want him to live…to survive and grow to love you…then you must show him kindness, respect, love. If you give him these things, they will return to you!"

"What are you suggesting I do to…show my affection? I talk kindly to him and he doesn't seem to hear. I touch him gently as long as he is obedient…"

"Spend time walking in the gardens with him. Get him to open up and find out what makes him happy. Indulge his tastes…"

"And if I do this, Byakuya will fall in love with me?" the king asked.

"If you do this, he will open his heart to you. Given time, he will learn to love you. But it must happen over time."

"Well," said the king, "we do have that, don't we."

The voices fell away as they moved through the doors that led into the gardens. Torio led Byakuya to a small gazebo that stood next to a koi pond. It was a scene reminiscent of his own gardens and Byakuya felt an ache in his heart, wondering if he would ever see that place again. He sat quietly at the table, watching the koi and letting his mind wander. A short time later, he heard someone approaching and found himself looking up at Kirio. She smiled at him and sat down next to him.

"Where is the king?" Byakuya asked softly.

"He will join us soon," Kirio replied, picking up a cup of tea and sipping at it.

Byakuya ignored the tea and turned his head to look at the koi pond again.

"I apologize for overhearing, but I wish to thank you for speaking to the king on my behalf."

Kirio's face flushed slightly and she took another sip of tea to give her time to think.

"Oh…well…it just makes sense. Byakuya, I have been with him for a long time…and I know what he's like. And I know he has wanted you for a long time. If this is what is to be, I would have your life with him be easier than mine has…especially in that you are the grandson of my friend."

Byakuya's eyes widened suddenly.

"Ginrei is here!" he said, worry in his voice, "Kirio…is he…"

"He is under the same charm as everyone else here, Byakuya. He cannot help you."

"He may not have to," Byakuya whispered, "I have contacted Aizen Sousuke."

Kirio carefully kept her eyes on her teacup.

"When?" she whispered.

"Last night. I have a soul communicator that reaches him."

Kirio risked a stern glance at him.

"I thought that you said that Aizen Sousuke was nothing but a traitor."

"No," he replied softly, "I was wrong about that. We were all wrong about it. The betrayal was a lie to cover what he planned to do after receiving your missive. Kirio…he is coming for us. He will be here soon, but he needs a way to get into the spirit dimension. I know the king carries a key…"

"Which he removes only when he fully undresses…and the only time he undresses fully is when he makes love to you, Byakuya. How then will you steal it and let Sousuke in?"

Byakuya frowned in frustration, then his frustration gave way to a look of surprise.

"He…doesn't…"

"No," she said, smiling, "thankfully, after I failed to provide him an heir, he lost interest. As I said, he was attracted to you anyway…and I never loved him. I sleep in his bed because I am his consort, but he does not desire me."

"And so…I cannot steal the key," Byakuya sighed.

"No," said Kirio, "but if you can distract the king, then I can steal the key and let Sousuke in. I just have to be certain I return by the time he wakes afterward."

"And what, may I ask, are you two plotting?" the king asked, sitting down across from Byakuya.

Byakuya looked up and his eyes widened. Another shinigami was sitting down next to the king…

"Grandfather…" Byakuya said, very softly.

The other's eyes rose and Byakuya noted sadly the same slightly hazed look in his eyes as existed in all of the others…all but the king, Kirio and him. Ginrei's lips turned upward slightly and he nodded at Byakuya.

"Byakuya," he said calmly, "I had heard that you had come to the spirit dimension. It is an honor to know you have been chosen to serve the king. You have made me very proud."

Byakuya felt tears burning in his eyes and lowered them to look at his teacup.

"I had thought that my succeeding you in the sixth division…my leadership of the clan…my powers…my zanpakutou…were the things that brought pride to our family name…Grandfather. This is what you told me before."

His raised his eyes to meet Ginrei's and his grandfather's reply nearly shattered him.

"We exist to serve our king, Byakuya. This is our first and most important duty…a great source of pride. I am so very proud of you!"

"Byakuya has had a difficult time settling in," said the king, "but perhaps if you two see each other with some regularity, he will feel more at home."

Ginrei nodded.

"I would enjoy that. It has been a long time since we have talked, Byakuya."

Byakuya closed his eyes and nodded.

"I would enjoy seeing you also, Grandfather. I have missed you."

The servants set out the meal and the talk gave way to eating. As they finished, Ginrei excused himself and after promising to return to see Byakuya later, left. Kirio rose to take her leave and the king walked back to the palace with her. Byakuya rose from the table and walked out onto the garden trail. He started down the trail, looking off to the sides to study the birds and roaming animals, stopping to look closer at some flowers of types he had never seen before. Spotting a sakura tree at the top of a small rise, he sat down and looked out over forest and meadowlands, watching deer graze and birds swerve around through the trees, their sweet sounds lulling him nearly to sleep in the shade. He was dozing peacefully, when he sensed another presence and opened his eyes to see the king sitting down next to him.

"And how are you finding the gardens today, my Byakuya?" he asked.

Byakuya was quick to note that although he sat down close to him, he made no physical contact.

"The gardens are fascinating. I think that I could spend days out here, just looking at all of the different kinds of flowers and trees, listening to the rushing water…the sounds of the birds…and I know that the stars and moon must be beautiful out here at night."

The king looked at him in surprise.

"I think that might be the most you've said to me at once since you arrived, Byakuya. Does this mean you are not so unhappy anymore?" he asked.

"I admit I still would give anything to return home…to be rejoined with my family…to be able to keep my connection with Senbonzakura…but having resigned myself to the fact that those things are gone, I am trying to rebuild my life. If I am to stay…and to be your consort, I must do my best to find what happiness there is in that…and not to close myself off to what comforts I can find."

For just a moment, he saw an expression cross the kings face that seemed to fall somewhere between hurt and regret.

"I am pleased that you are learning to cope," he said, moving closer and slipping an arm around the noble, "but I am hoping that with time, you won't be coping anymore, Byakuya. I hope that someday when I put my arms around you, you will welcome my touch…and when I kiss you, you will meet my lips with honest passion. And when we go to my bed, I hope that we will share pleasures that leave us both fulfilled. I know we are a long way from this, but we can have that kind of life if we both try."

Byakuya sighed, thinking longingly of Aizen Sousuke, of Abarai Renji…of going home. But if he wanted to regain those things, then he had to convince the king that he was making the adjustment. He had to at least look like he was trying.

"I…am not averse to trying, my lord. I would find what happiness I can here."

The king's cheek brushed affectionately against his.

"We can be happy, Byakuya. Just…open your heart to me…just a little, and we can be happy."

The king turned and sought his lips…and it seemed to Byakuya that there was more feeling in the gesture now. And he remembered that Sousuke had said that this used to be their king…before something went horribly wrong and he was made over into a hollow god. What if, he wondered, this hollow god could be affected by love? What if love could turn him around and bring him back?

He sighed softly against the lips that gently tasted his, knowing he could not afford to fool himself. The king was a hollow. He hadn't a heart anymore. But as the mouth on his continued to offer him such gentleness, he had to wonder. What if it was possible? What if?

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt himself being lowered onto his bed and opened his eyes. The room was dark, but he could see the reflection of light off of the eyes of the king as he was set down. They had lost their predatory look and had taken on more gentleness. And despite his longing for home, Byakuya wished that the sentiment he saw there could be genuine.

"You fell asleep in my arms, beneath the sakura tree," he said in a soft, longing tone, "I sat all afternoon holding you and watching you sleep like that…and it made me feel very peaceful inside, Byakuya."

The noble gazed up at him quietly, not knowing how to respond.

"You looked beautiful…and you were nearly smiling in your sleep. I thought it was such a rare and lovely thing to see your face so untroubled, so happy. I hope that we share more times like this."

He looked into the golden eyes fearlessly now and he could see what the king wanted. Very slowly, he leaned forward and brought his lips to the king's. He felt the monarch stiffen in surprise, then sink into the kiss, not raising the emotion into forcefulness, but keeping the contact light and gentle…letting Byakuya give what he felt comfortable giving…and for once, asking no more. They spent several minutes kissing that way, with just their mouths touching, then the king reached up to touch his face and hair. He kissed the noble one last time, then released him and stood. Byakuya looked up at him quietly and the king looked back with unexpected warmth.

"Good night, Byakuya," the king said softly, moving toward the door.

"Good night, my lord," Byakuya answered, watching as the king left.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," Aizen whispered to his zanpakutou.

Although to him, it seemed nothing had happened, he knew now that he was unseen by the scores of hollow guards and most especially Gin. If Gin reached out for his reiatsu, he would simply find Aizen sleeping peacefully in his bed and would not know that he was really out…out abducting Abarai taichou…

He moved off away from the fortress, far enough to reduce the chances that anyone would notice the garganta being opened into the Seireitei. He passed through the precipice world quickly and set down in a secluded area, just outside of the main part of the town. He reached out with his senses and found Renji's at the sixth division. Smiling to himself, he turned in that direction, walking purposefully and closing the distance quickly. Soon, he arrived at the sixth division office and was surprised to see the light was on. He looked in through the window and saw, not just Abarai Renji, but Kuchiki Rukia, Kurosaki Ichigo and Shihoin Yoruichi as well. Sighing in annoyance, he used his zanpakutou to cover his movements and walked around to the side of the building, seeking out the taichou's quarters. He worked the window open and slipped inside, moving close to the door so that he could hear the sounds coming from the office.

"Ukitake taichou told me that the king has the right to require any member of the Royal Guard or any Taichou of the Gotei 13 to come to the spirit dimension to act as consort," Renji was explaining.

"And even though my brother didn't want to go," Rukia went on, "he was forced to go because it is the law."

"This is extremely difficult," mused Yoruichi, "because the king does have this right."

"But dammit, no one should have to give up his whole life and just be forced to go there like that!" insisted Ichigo in a disgusted voice.

"He couldn't even take Senbonzakura," said Rukia, her eyes tearing, "Sode no Shirayuki has spoken to his zanpakutou and he says that twice now, he has felt that Byakuya was in great distress, terrible pain, and at those times, he has tried to call to Byakuya. He doesn't answer…but Senbonzakura says it may just be that the pain is so great that he cannot respond."

"I don't give a damn what the law says!" Renji fumed, "It isn't right to take someone's life away like that and to do painful things to him…We have to get him out of that place!"

"And then what?" asked Yoruichi, "Where can we take him that the Spirit King cannot find him?"

"I don't know…" Renji admitted, "but we'll think of something."

"We just need to get into the spirit dimension," Renji said in a frustrated voice, "and so far I've got no clue as to how to do that!"

"Well," said Yoruichi, "it's very late. I think we should sleep on it and decide what to do in the morning. Maybe some sleep will clear our minds and we'll come up with something."

The voices faded and Aizen watched as Ichigo, Yoruichi and Rukia walked off in the direction of Kuchiki Manor. He heard Renji shifting papers in the office and moved out into the room. Still unseen, he slipped in behind the redhead, whispering a binding incantation. One moment, Renji sat looking at the report in his hand and the next, he was tied to his seat, looking into the calm face of a now visible Aizen Sousuke. His eyes flared and he struggled against his bonds. Aizen regarded him calmly and pulled out the soul communicator.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" roared Renji, "Untie me, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

Aizen shook his head in annoyance.

"My apologies, Renji…but Byakuya did request that I bring you along with me…"

"Byakuya! What the hell? When did you…? Wha..?" Renji stammered, still struggling.

"Please be quiet," Aizen said off-handedly, "I won't be able to hear when Byakuya's call comes in."

Renji's face paled.

"He called you? How? Are you…this can't be right! Byakuya hates you! You tried to kill his sister! Byakuya would kill himself before turning to you…even if you were the last fucking person on the face of the…"

"Really, Abarai, I don't know why he insisted on including you, but it seemed to bolster him to know you were coming…"

"I…I…I'll go take a fire bath in hell before I go anywhere with you, you son of a bitch! Untie me…NOW!"

"Do be quiet. You know, it would be awfully inconvenient if I were caught here. I'm only here because it was important to your former taichou. Now, if you want to have a chance to save Byakuya, you need to calm yourself and talk to him. He should be calling…"

The soul communicator in his hand buzzed softly. Aizen held it up to Renji's ear and opened it.

"H-hello?" said Renji uncertainly.

"Abarai taichou," said a soft, deep voice, "it is very good to hear your voice."

"B-byakuya!" Renji stammered, his face going white.


	7. The Royal Heir

**Chapter 7: The Royal Heir**

"_H-hello?" said Renji uncertainly._

"_Abarai taichou," said a soft, deep voice, "it is very good to hear your voice."_

"_B-byakuya!" Renji stammered, his face going white._

Renji felt tears in his eyes and found himself lost for words. He flashed back suddenly to the moment his former taichou had embraced him…to the moment when he had disappeared down the road, led away by the Royal Guard. And suddenly, there were no words…

"Renji…"

The redhead closed his eyes, but couldn't stop a tear from rolling down his face.

"Aizen…you bastard!" he hissed, "Only you could do something sick like this! The only question is…why would you come back now to torture me? What could you possibly want? It wasn't enough for you to nearly cut me in half…now…you come and…and pull this shit! Why would my taichou, who loves his sister and watched you order Gin to kill her…why would he fucking be in contact with you?"

Aizen met his eyes calmly.

"Renji, I know you are tempted…strongly tempted not to believe your ears, but I assure you that this is Byakuya. He is watched carefully and can only speak to us at night. If you want to be of some kind of help to him, I suggest that you listen to him. Kyoka Suigetsu is a strong hypnotist, but it could never fool someone so deeply connected as you are to Byakuya. Speak to him, Renji, before the opportunity is lost."

"Renji," Byakuya said again, "I know you will find it difficult to believe, but Aizen Sousuke was manipulated into betraying us. He discovered that our Spirit King has been corrupted, something that I have found to be true. I don't know how it happened…where things went wrong, but I know that a creature dedicated to balance would not act the way he is toward his consort."

"T-taichou…Byakuya…he's…hurting you?"

Byakuya was silent for a moment, prompting Renji to go on.

"Byakuya…Senbonzakura has told Sode no Shirayuki that twice now he has sensed you were in terrible pain and that he has tried to call to you, but you have not answered. It's left Rukia and me very worried. Are you…all right?"

He heard Byakuya take a quick breath.

"I am…as well as can be expected, having left everything and everyone who matters to me behind. I am coping. But the situation I find myself in is alarming. Renji, the king and consort are supposed to be in balance, but something has forced that balance to shift so that the king requires powerful reiatsu to feed him…so that just by being directly exposed to his reiatsu, the consort is slowly drained of life and begins to fade."

"Wh-what the hell? Is that what he's doing to you?" Renji said, his stomach turning, "Taichou…we have to get you out of there!"

"Renji…that is what Sousuke is there to do. He has come to bring you to the spirit dimension. He plans to free me…but the powerful nature of the king cannot be overcome by him alone…and he cannot trust Gin or the hollows he has trained for the attack. He needs someone strong to watch his back and to lend his power so that the corrupted king can be overthrown and the king and consort brought into balance. Only by doing that can I be freed. I need you to do this, Renji. I need you to make sure that Sousuke has the assistance he needs. I have no other source of hope. You and he are all that is left in the way of hope for me."

"No, Byakuya," Renji said softly, "You are wrong."

"I am…wrong?"

"He and I are not all that is left. Rukia…Yoruichi…Ichigo, they are all here trying to figure out how to reach you. We all knew that, whatever agreement you may have signed when you became taichou, however strong your commitment to the laws, this is wrong. We were trying to think of a way to get to you…a way to get you away from there and back here, where you belong!"

"It will be difficult getting into the spirit dimension," Byakuya said softly, "and no one without ban kai or that level power should be included. Renji, I know Rukia will be determined to come, but do not allow it. The king is corrupt and powerful. Renji, he has become a hollow god."

"A hollow god…"

"Yes. Somehow, he fell out of balance with his consort…perhaps he simply grew too powerful…and that caused the situation that exists now. Something had to compensate as he grew too powerful, so the consort tried to compensate and had the life sucked out of her. The king has already begun to slowly eat away at my reiatsu. It will weaken and dissipate over time, each time he feeds on it…until I have no power, no spiritual pressure…and until my link with Senbonzakura is severed. This operation, the removal of the king from power…is the only thing that can stop it from happening and bring the king and consort back into proper balance. But you have to know what you are walking into. That being the case and Yoruichi and Ichigo being already in the Seireitei, I think that the four of you should make the trip. Do not tell Rukia you are leaving. Leave a note to explain that I ordered you to do this and then come with Sousuke to the dimension wall. I will distract the king so that the current consort can steal the king's key and let you in. Then you must carefully find your way into the palace so that we can confront the king. And Renji…I need you to bring Senbonzakura, but guard him carefully. The king would destroy him upon seeing him and rescue would cease to matter. You and I both know that a spirit who has lost his zanpakutou…will die."

"Hai…Byakuya, I will do everything you say. I want you to come back. I haven't officially assumed command of this division…and I don't want to. I want to be a taichou…but this is your division…your place. It feels nothing but wrong for you not to be here. All of the taichous feel the same."

"Arigato, Abarai Renji. You have proven yourself to be loyal beyond our military association. I consider you a close and well-loved friend. Whatever happens, we will always share that."

Renji blinked and swallowed.

"I miss you, Byakuya. I won't rest until you are back here, safe with us."

"Again, arigato, Abarai," Byakuya said softly, "I knew that of everyone, that I could count on you. Now, I need to speak to Sousuke…"

"Hai, Byakuya," Renji said, handing the communicator to Aizen.

"Byakuya."

"Hai, Sousuke. I take it that Abarai didn't give you too much trouble then?" the noble asked.

"Not too much. Just attitude really, but I can handle it. How are you holding up?"

"I am…trying as you said, not to anger the king. The consort spoke to him about what he has been doing and he seems to be making an effort to treat me more gently. Sousuke…you said that this king was our king, but that he was somehow corrupted and became a hollow…but he is showing genuine interest in being more accommodating…I wonder if…"

"Byakuya," said Aizen quietly, "listen carefully. I have lived among the hollows and…being that they are attached to emotion, they can realize the evil in what they are doing, but they are not capable of true change without the dark emotion inside being exorcised. The king, in his current state is trying to deny his impulses. As a taichou, and knowing as you do about hollows, what does your experience tell you?"

Byakuya sighed.

"That because he denies his true nature, the emotion will build."

"Yes…the emotion will build until he cannot control his impulses any longer…and he will be overcome by his true nature. We must reach you before this happens or there could be devastating consequences. And there is one thing more. You told me that he has attempted to make an heir with you. Do you know yet if you have been successful?" Aizen asked.

"I do not know," Byakuya replied.

"Well, once that happens, the chemical changes in your body will make you very attractive to him. He will have to work even harder to maintain control and it will push him to the edge faster. Be very cautious now, Byakuya. You must help him to stay centered until we arrive. We only need three days to get there. We would be even faster, but there is something I need to do before we come for you. I want you to call me each night and keep me informed about what you learn. Every bit we know about that place coming in will help us in our attempt to rescue you."

"Hai…I will call you each night…and I promise you that I will be cautious."

"Good. We must go now. Abarai looks like he'll explode if I don't release him from the kido ropes."

"Kido ropes…" Byakuya mused, "please remind Abarai how many times I discussed with him the necessity of improving his use of kido. He should have been able to break those ropes by now…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya was still sleeping soundly the next morning when the door opened and Torio entered the room. He approached the bed and called softly to the sleeping consort.

"Sir…sir it is growing late. The king asked me to check on you."

Byakuya turned and opened his eyes, sitting up and realizing how late it was.

"Ah..Torio, arigato. I must have been very tired. I don't usually sleep so late."

He climbed out of bed and walked to the open closet. He chose a dark red kimono with a pattern of gold cranes and waited quietly as the youth dressed him. He noticed an unusual tension in the servant, something that hadn't been there before, but had seemed to appear after the king came into the room to drain and assault Byakuya.

"You look pale this morning, Torio," Byakuya commented, "Are you feeling ill? You need not tend me if you are not well."

The young man shook his head.

"I'm all right, sir. I just…I didn't sleep very well."

Byakuya nodded.

"It must have been uncomfortable for you," the noble observed.

"S-sir?"

"I only mean…it must have been difficult witnessing what he did to me, Torio."

The youth's face flushed and his hands shook softly.

"I…I…didn't overhear anything. I was…"

"As closely as I am watched…as in tune with my emotions as you seem…Torio, how is this done?"

The youth lowered his eyes.

"Sir…we're not allowed to speak of it," he said softly, "The king forbids it and would…would punish harshly anyone who does speak of it."

"Then I will tell you what I think…Torio. I think it is no coincidence that you always seem to know what I am about. The ones closest to me…the guards and the ones like you who serve me…have somehow been linked with my mind…my emotions."

Torio paled.

"You know then what he did to me…and this is what upsets you," Byakuya went on.

"S-sir, please…the king is waiting! He'll be angry if we…"

"Please, Torio, I already know it is being done. I only wish to understand how it works."

The youth stared at him, looking as though he wished only to sink into the floor and disappear.

"I will not let the king know you have told me anything, Torio," Byakuya promised, "You have my word."

The youth lowered his eyes.

"I…well…I guess if you already know it's happening…and you promise not to tell him. Please don't tell him, sir! His punishments are awful!"

Byakuya observed the servant with sympathetic eyes.

"Torio, you must understand…our king has been corrupted…and he seems to have control over most of the people here…but you seem to be breaking from his control. How is this?"

He noticed then that the boy was shaking and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What is going on here?" asked the king from the doorway.

Byakuya released the youth's shoulder and stepped away.

"I am sorry for my lateness in waking up, my lord. I…"

He stopped, unnerved by the fury in the king's eyes.

"You were touching him in a very familiar way, consort…"

Byakuya bowed his head.

"I am sorry, my lord," he said softly, "I was thanking Torio for taking such good care of me. I meant nothing by it…truly, my lord."

The king's eyes cooled, but Byakuya could feel the rage, just beneath the surface.

"Torio, please go and stand outside. Wait for us."

The white-faced boy turned and left the room.

"We should see to the removal of more of your power, my Byakuya."

The noble nodded and moved to the bed. The king followed, sitting down next to him as he lay down and leaning over him to remove the charm. The power that began to eat away at him was carefully controlled and less painful, but Byakuya could see the threat being issued. The king had read too much into his interaction with Torio, and now, he realized, both were being warned. He could almost feel the youth's pain wracked body outside the door, his forced empathy picking up the pain Byakuya was feeling and taking it on himself. He was about to speak, when suddenly, he heard an achingly familiar voice rise up in his mind. He recalled then what Renji had said about Senbonzakura feeling his pain. Careful to keep any emotion from rising in his face, he reached out to his zanpakutou and felt the spirit latch on to his.

"_Master! Master, you are in pain! What can I do? How can I help you?"_

"_Senbonzakura…it is good to hear your thoughts…"_

"_Please, call me to your hand, master!"_

"_No," _Byakuya sent back, _"You must come to me another way. You will be carried here and given into my hand, but I dare not call you here when he is with me. He would destroy you. Wait, Sen. Be patient and you will find me again."_

He felt the spirit's voice fade as the charm was returned to his throat. The king still leaned over him and now bent to kiss him. Byakuya complied quietly, watching the king with careful eyes. The monarch pushed his tongue into the noble's mouth, exploring it deeply, the pressure strong, but not overly forceful. He continued kissing Byakuya deeply for several minutes, then pulled away. He moved over on the bed and loosened his clothing. He looked back at Byakuya.

"The taste of your reiatsu has aroused me," he said, looking into Byakuya's eyes, "I would like it if you pleasured me."

Byakuya turned slowly and brought his lips to the king's. He kissed the king with gentle pressure, then felt a strong hand, pushing him downward. He moved to the king's throat and chest, continuing with the same soft kisses and moving his hands over the area, stroking the warm skin. The king's hands slid into his hair, caressing it gently and pushing him downward again. Byakuya laid kisses on the soft abdomen, dipping his tongue into the deep navel and sucking lightly. He heard the king moan and felt himself being urged to move lower.

"Put your mouth on me, my Byakuya," the king said in a quiet, but stern voice.

Knowing better than to further anger the already riled king, he moved lower and paused as he reached the king's swollen erection. He stared, his heart beating strangely fast and a sick feeling rising inside him. He realized that the king was staring at him and continued. The king moaned again as Byakuya's breath touched him and the fingers in the noble's hair tightened painfully.

He took the king's length into his mouth slowly, then began a gentle up and down motion, letting his tongue caress him. The king moaned more hungrily, his hands forcing Byakuya to move faster and sink down deeper. The king's eyes closed and he thrust in, nearly choking him. He gave a passionate cry and released, holding him down as he choked and writhed, struggling to pull away.

When he finally released Byakuya, the noble's face was pale and he swayed dizzily. The king caught him and eased him down onto the bed. As he lay dazed, he heard the monarch say something and felt his own clothes loosened.

"P-please…" he gasped, "I…I…"

He rolled to his feet and turned toward the bathroom. He was halfway there when his legs gave way beneath him and he started to fall. He was caught and returned to the bed, then warm hands touched his face and slid down to rest on his abdomen. He felt the king's power flow into him and heard a soft gasp of pleasure and approval.

"Byakuya," the king whispered, "We've been successful. You are with child."


	8. Hollow Spawn

**Chapter 8: Hollow Spawn**

Byakuya felt dizziness sweep over him, followed by intense nausea. He climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom, only making it halfway there before his legs collapsed beneath him and he fell to the floor. He was vaguely aware of Torio running into the room and dropping to his knees alongside him.

"Sir!" he cried worriedly, "Are you all right? Are you all right? I will send for the king!"

"N-no," gasped Byakuya, "P-please summon Kirio. I need Kirio!"

The youth gave him a look of understanding and sympathy.

"Of course, sir. I will send someone immediately!"

"No…Torio, you must…help me first back into bed…then go for Kirio."

"But," the boy objected, "you're not well. We should get help for you!"

Byakuya met his eyes warningly.

"Torio…I don't want the king to know…and the…the others would tell him. But Kirio can help and she will not inform the king. Please…help me up and then go and find her!"

"Hai!" Torio said, helping him slowly to his feet and helping to support his weight as they made their way back to the bed.

Byakuya climbed back into the bed and lay on his side, moaning softly. Torio gave him a worried look, then dashed out the door and away. Byakuya lay quietly, trying to control his breathing as pain throbbed in his abdomen. He heard the door open and sighed in relief, then bit back a groan as he realized that it was the king who had arrived. The monarch approached the bed, frowning as he took in Byakuya's pale form.

"Where has Torio gone?" the king asked angrily, "I should kill the brat for leaving you alone like this!"

"N-no…" moaned Byakuya, "H-he went…to look for you…"

The nausea flared again and Byakuya dragged himself to his feet and staggered toward the bathroom. He felt an arm wrap around him as he continued walking. Reaching the bathroom, he dropped to his knees and his stomach heaved again and again. He felt a hand rubbing his back, but couldn't respond as the nausea continued to flare inside him and he threw up again and again. Spots danced before his eyes until he could no longer see. He could feel that he was being held up, more than supported as his head swam and he tried to regain control. Weakness flooded his body and darkness descended on him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Byakuya," Kirio's voice called, sounding oddly distant.

He moaned and his head spun, leaving him feeling shaky and nauseous again. He felt cool hands on his face and heard the healer speaking to Kirio.

"It is even worse than it was with you. The king's child is too strong and is taxing his systems too greatly. It is putting great strain on him. He should not be trying to produce an heir at all! His reiatsu cannot be housed in a shinigami, no matter how strong the shinigami is. Kirio…he isn't going to survive. Would you…be averse to me…ending this?"

There was a long pause.

"Only do it if it looks like Byakuya is going to die. You remember the king's reaction to me losing the heir when you ended the pregnancy to save my life. He was furious…and he took that anger out on me. I don't want Byakuya to have to endure all of that."

"But that means that he must instead endure the agony, both physical and emotional, of carrying a hollow heir in a shinigami body. I have to wonder when our king will acknowledge what he has become and give up this madness. A shinigami cannot bear the child of a hollow god…end of story. The shinigami form is made to be the antithesis of the hollow form, so when forced to bind together this way, the two battle until one steals the life out of the other."

"Unless the two find a balance point."

"They won't. They will never seek to balance each other. It is in their very nature to destroy each other."

"Is there nothing you can do to stabilize him?" Kirio asked.

The healer sighed in frustration. He studied the noble's reiatsu and checked the reiatsu of the hollow lord's child.

"I might be able to stabilize him for a while, but sooner or later, he is either going to have to abort this pregnancy or he will be overwhelmed and start to fade. He won't live to finish the transition…"

"We have to keep him alive," Kirio said firmly, "Help is coming to us. We just need to keep him and ourselves alive and out of trouble until Aizen Sousuke arrives. He will be able to find a way out of this mess. I know if anyone can, he can."

The healer gazed at her skeptically.

"You seem to have a great deal of faith in him," he observed.

"In his abilities," she said firmly.

She gazed down at Byakuya.

"It occurs to me that maybe his heart has settled somewhere…" she mused, "And that is only going to help our chances."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sure took your fucking time getting here," Renji snapped, watching as Aizen Sousuke flash stepped into view.

He frowned, sensing something, but not quite knowing what.

"What were you off doing, anyway?" Renji asked.

"Just ensuring all was in place for our attempt to penetrate the spirit dimension," Aizen said smoothly, "I wouldn't want to simply blunder into the place and be captured before we could be of any help to Byakuya."

"That's Kuchiki taichou," Renji corrected him shortly, "He may have been dragged off and made into the king's consort, but he is still taichou to me…and at least, a noble and deserving of respect."

"I wasn't disrespecting Byakuya," Aizen said calmly, "It may come as a surprise to you, but your taichou and I were friends some time ago."

"Yeah…" Renji muttered, "Some friend. You killed the members of Central 46…tried to kill Momo…and a bunch of the rest of us, too. You tried to have Rukia killed. And if you think for a minute that I'll forget that…"

"I don't expect you will either forgive or forget," Aizen replied, unruffled, "but you should know that that day at the Sokyoku…not everything was as it seemed or as I told it."

"You lied? Now, why in the hell doesn't that surprise me?" Renji mused.

"I explained this to Byakuya and I will tell you…mostly because my life will be in danger if you continue to despise me so…and I really don't want to die and leave Byakuya in the spirit dimension until he fades away into nothing. I was contacted by Hikifune Kirio, a former member of the Gotei 13 shortly after she was called to the spirit dimension on a mission. She is the one who revealed to me that the king had been corrupted."

"Why did she contact you?" asked Renji, "I know of Hikifune Kirio…and she was a powerful shinigami…very powerful. Why would someone like her rely on a fukutaichou? That's what you were when she left…"

"I was," Aizen admitted, but I had done extensive research on the king and the spirit dimension, and she knew of this. She entrusted it to me, thinking that I had the best chance of knowing what to do and taking appropriate action."

"I don't know," said Renji, "It still seems fishy, her relying on someone as green as you were, not that you didn't have power, but…"

"Well, Renji, I don't expect you to believe much of what I say, but I do need you to have confidence that I have Byakuya's best interests at heart, here."

"And why would you give a rat's ass about Byakuya? Even if he was your friend, he never spoke of that friendship to me. And if what you said is true, then he should have talked about it."

"I think Byakuya was somewhat embarrassed and uncertain about the state of things between us. At some point, he became distant with me…and we stopped interacting, but we never had a true falling out until what happened with Rukia."

"Yeah…setting his sister up to die would put a damper on your friendship."

"Renji…I was in an untenable position," Aizen explained.

"Right…how?"

The king discovered that Kirio contacted me and he assigned Gin Ichimaru to watch me…to determine if I might be a threat to him. He brought Tousen into things to help him. When he found out about my plans to overthrow the corrupted king, he saw an opportunity to gain something for himself, so he threatened to reveal my plans to the king and I was forced to go along with him. Gin had it in for Rukia. I don't know why. But when he gave me no choice but to use her, I took steps to make it look as though she would be killed, but used Kyoka Suigetsu to protect her. When we were at the Sokyoku…I had a plan that would have spared her, but Byakuya came to her rescue and almost died for nothing. I wouldn't have let Rukia die…and now my friend was dying instead. And because Gin was still there, I had to keep up appearances, but I made numerous trips to the healing center to look in on Byakuya. I appeared as a healer. He didn't even know I was there."

"Hmph," grunted Renji, "You say that you and Byakuya were friends, but you were so stealthy and you didn't make any attempt to tell him any of what was going on."

"I actually did…in a letter that I left for him before I left for Hueco Mundo. I explained everything and I gave him a soul communicator he could use to contact me directly. He apparently never read the letter, but took it with him when he left for the spirit dimension."

"How convenient…"

"I had nothing to do with his choice to do that. But I am glad that it enabled him to contact me. And that enables us to rescue him."

"You were in love with him, weren't you?" Renji asked abruptly.

Aizen's eyes widened.

"What makes you say that?" he asked softly.

"Huh…How about the cooling of your friendship…the fact that when you left, the only one you left a note for was him…and how you gave him the soul communicator? Above and beyond friendship, I think."

Aizen was silent for several long minutes, then he sighed resignedly.

"I fell in love with Byakuya and he sensed it, but didn't know how to resolve it within himself. It could mean that he didn't return the feeling, but it seemed more that he didn't know how to resolve it within the strictures of the rules of his clan. It was complicated…but yes, you are right…I did fall in love with him."

Renji stared at him quietly.

"Then…assuming you are still in love with him," Renji said slowly.

Aizen lowered his eyes and nodded silently.

"Then you will be as committed to his rescue as I am."

"Oh, believe me," said Aizen softly, "I am unswervingly committed to saving him…whether or not he ever returns my affections."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke to the feel of a warm hand in his and turned toward the person, smiling.

"Renji?" he whispered.

He opened his eyes and found himself looking up into the veiled eyes of the king. The smile faded from his lips and he met the king's eyes warily.

"I apologize, my lord. It's just that…I was injured before…in the Seireitei…and Renji spent a lot of time in the healing center, helping to look after me…"

"And when you woke, you were disoriented. I understand," said the king.

But the understanding didn't seem to reach his eyes. Even though his outward expression was calm, Byakuya could sense the anger beneath everything, the swirl of dark emotions that all hollows held inside. A soft shiver went through him.

"My lord," he said softly, "Are you here to tell me that I failed to carry the heir?"

The king's eyes softened.

"No, Byakuya. The heir still survives…but the strain on your body is great…and I do not want to lose you in this process. As such, I will cease to drain your power until the child is born. But I must warn you that this path is not without its cost. You see, now that we have been together and my reiatsu has fed on yours, I must continue to feed upon it or I will experience great pain and discomfort. You are the one who balances me. We will reach full balance only once you are emptied of reiatsu. Because I cannot feed on your reiatsu, I must lie with you each night. Taking pleasure of your body, even without feeding on your reiatsu will stave off the cravings. It will ease things for long enough so that you might birth the heir. Will you agree to this?"

Byakuya gazed up at him uncertainly.

"My lord…I…"

"Byakuya," said the king in a dead calm voice, "realize that the only other options are to end the pregnancy and fail in the creation of our heir, forcing me to choose another consort or to continue the pregnancy and the reiatsu draining. Do you understand the consequences of these things?"

Byakuya nodded, his eyes distant and lost.

"If you are forced to choose another consort, you will drain me more quickly, causing me to fade sooner…and if we continue along this path, I see that my body will be overwhelmed and I will either lose the child and force the choosing of a new consort or I, myself, will die. I will do as you wish, my lord."

"Very good, Byakuya," the king said, taking his hands, "Then I will see you to the royal chambers."

"What?" Byakuya whispered, "But the healer said…"

"He worries too greatly. And besides, the longer I am made to wait, the more my hunger for your reiatsu will grow. And the more it grows, the more I must do to stave off the craving for your reiatsu…until the time comes when the urge is too strong and I will lose control of my will. So you see, Byakuya, we must see to this now."

"It could hurt our child," Byakuya said quietly.

"Yes," agreed the king, "Because of your fragile state, it could hurt our child, but the chances of that happening are relatively low, while the risks associated with waiting are greater. Come with me."

He pulled the noble to his feet. Byakuya swayed unsteadily, but held onto the king's arm and started toward the door with him. As they passed into the hallway and started back to the king's bedroom, Byakuya felt Kirio and the healer's eyes on them. The healer frowned deeply, but kept his eyes downcast, while Kirio gazed up at the king directly and shook her head sadly. Torio appeared and fell in behind them, his head hung and his eyes lowered.

They reached the bedroom and the king opened the door, then stepped through with the noble still leaning heavily against him. He closed the door behind them, then lifted Byakuya into his arms and carried him to the bed. Setting him down, he stood by the bed, slowly removed his clothing and set it on a chair nearby. He slipped into a light yukata, but left it opened and slid into the bed beside Byakuya. Turning, he leaned over the noble and pressed their lips together. Byakuya closed his eyes and tried to imagine where his rescuers were…how long it would take them to arrive…how they would help him escape the king.

_But then what? He is a god…and he will only pursue us to the ends of the three worlds. And even if he doesn't find us, those worlds will be thrown into chaos. But not running means that we must fight. And if trying to run from a god is impossible, trying to kill one is suicide…_


	9. The Stolen Key

**Chapter 9: The Stolen Key**

Byakuya sensed the retreat of the king's reiatsu from the room and opened his eyes. A fierce ache had settled into his abdomen and he felt nauseous and weak, but he took slow breaths and eventually found that he was able to rise. He placed a hand on his stomach and walked slowly to the bathroom, stopping to take a clean yukata from the closet on the way. Torio appeared, looking shadow-eyed and weak, and tended him as he bathed. Byakuya studied the youth and felt a pang of worry for him as he saw the signs of intense strain.

"Torio," he said quietly, "You need to go to Kirio and ask for her help. Your reiatsu has begun to be affected by the king. You could be swallowed up by him."

"You don't understand," the youth said softly, "Right now, I am absorbing some of the shock that would be striking you. It is my choice to do this, as I do not wish to see you begin to fade too soon."

Byakuya stared at the young man questioningly.

"Torio, why would you care so much about what happens to me? You didn't even know me until I arrived here."

"That is true," the youth acknowledged, "but you are different…stronger…You give me hope that one day, things will go back to the way they are supposed to be."

"I appreciate having your confidence," Byakuya said quietly, "but I would not be the cause of hurt to you, Torio."

"You are not the cause, sir. Our king has been corrupted. And you are the only one who seems to be in a position to help us."

"I am not doing anything. I asked for help from a friend. I am waiting for him to arrive. I haven't done anything myself."

"But you have," Torio insisted, "You have absorbed a large amount of the king's reiatsu that would have fallen on us. In addition, you have brought us hope in contacting your friend outside the spirit dimension. Before, we were despairing there was no way to restore balance within the dimension."

Byakuya gave him a solemn smile.

"Well…I'm grateful to have been able to do something to help."

He reached out with his senses and did not feel the king's presence.

"Torio," he said quietly, "I need to return to my room briefly…to make contact with the ones who are coming."

"Oh, of course, sir. I will take you there right now."

"And I will need you to stand watch and warn me if the king should come."

Torio nodded.

They left the king's bedroom and made their way back to Byakuya's room. Torio stood outside the door as Byakuya slipped inside and recovered the soul communicator. He punched in Aizen's code and waited.

"Byakuya?" Sousuke said anxiously.

"Sousuke," Byakuya replied in greeting, "Where are you?"

"We are at the dimension wall at the location you received from Kirio. We are ready to enter the dimension. All we need is for you to distract the king and for Kirio to steal the key and let us in."

"I am ready. I will be with the king soon and I will let Kirio know that you are…"

He broke off at the sound of the door opening and Torio flash stepping inside.

"The king!" he hissed.

Byakuya closed the communicator as the king stepped into the room. He moved closer to Torio and slipped the communicator into the youth's hand. Torio made no move or sound, but the device disappeared into his uniform.

"Torio, if you will excuse us," the king said brusquely.

The youth exited the room swiftly. The king stood gazing at Byakuya questioningly.

"Why are you here?" he asked softly, "You share my room now. You needn't return here. Everything you need is in our room."

"Am I not allowed to walk the hallways?" Byakuya asked softly, ""I thought the exercise might help with my nausea."

"And did it?" asked the king.

"To some extent," Byakuya said, rubbing his abdomen, "but I felt dizzy as I was nearing this room and stopped to rest a bit. There is a pleasant view from the window."

"Ah, of course. Well…now that you have rested, I shall walk you back to our room. I am afraid that my craving for your reiatsu is stronger than I realized it would be and I must dampen that need."

Byakuya lowered his eyes.

"Of course, my lord."

He turned out into the hallway and spotted Torio.

"Torio," he said, as he and the king approached the youth.

"Hai," he replied, bowing.

"Torio," he said carefully, "Please inform Kirio that I am with the king, but that I will be available to walk with her later."

"Hai," the youth answered, nodding, then flash stepping away.

The king slipped his arm around Byakuya's shoulders.

"I am pleased to see that you have adjusted to our situation. I know it is a strain upon you, but after the heir is born, we may continue with your transition and come closer to being in balance."

"Hai, my lord."

They reached the king's bedroom and stepped inside, closing the door behind them. The king followed Byakuya to the bed and reached out to stop him as he reached it. Byakuya turned and the king's hand dropped to the noble's waist, loosing the tie. His hands slipped beneath the noble's blue yukata and slid it down off his shoulders. The king's mouth claimed Byakuya's hungrily and he moved Byakuya backwards to the edge of the bed. Byakuya reached up and touched his face as he started to press forward. The king stopped and stared at him questioningly. Byakuya let his lips curve into a smile.

"My lord, please allow me…" he said softly.

The king smiled and took a step back, relaxing and watching as Byakuya loosed the tie at his waist and slowly removed the king's clothes, setting them neatly on a chair at the end of the bed. The dark gray eyes met the king's as if asking permission and the king smiled and nodded. Byakuya met his lips warmly, opening his mouth to receive the probing tongue that curled around his and explored his mouth deeply. The noble's hands slid down the long, straight back and over the firm buttocks then pulled gently to bring him closer. The king's reiatsu rose, but the level was not uncomfortable, so Byakuya was able to continue. Their mouths pulled away from each other and Byakuya's lips found the king's throat, brushing light kisses and nipping lightly with his teeth. The king moaned hungrily and wrapped his arms around the noble, stroking the long, black hair, the soft skin of his back and thrusting his hips forward against the noble's, seeking the pleasant friction of skin on skin. Byakuya's body moved heatedly against his and the king smiled into the long, graceful throat as he bit down on it.

"My Byakuya…" he moaned, "I feel your desire now. Could it be that you begin to return my feelings?"

Byakuya licked the skin of the monarch's throat and ear and loosed a light gasp as he was brought down onto the bed. The king's hands reached down to part his thighs.

"My lord," Byakuya whispered, "I wish to pleasure you. May I?"

The king's smile widened and he laid down on his back on the bed. Byakuya climbed onto the bed and straddled the king's body, his own carefully positioned so that the king did not have a clear view of the clothes Byakuya had removed from him. He rubbed their thickened lengths against each other and leaning down to treat the monarch's throat and chest to a barrage of brushed kisses, long, sweeping licks and small nips with his teeth. The king's moans became hungrier and ended in an impatient growl. He placed his hands on the noble's shoulders and pushed down. Byakuya kissed his way down the king's body as the monarch tilted his head back against the pillows and sighed with delight.

"You show much more enthusiasm in our lovemaking, Byakuya," he panted as the noble's mouth pleasured him. Slender white hands stroked him as Byakuya's mouth moved eagerly over his flesh. The king's back arched and his voice sounded loudly as he moaned Byakuya's name. As he felt the king growing close, he pulled his mouth away and moved up, straddling the monarch's body again, rubbing their members together again slowly, then sliding the kings member to his entrance. He knelt atop the king, looking down into the hazed black eyes, holding them steadily and returning their warm expression with his. He moved his hips teasingly slowly, working the king's length into his body gradually as the king moaned his name again loudly and panted heavily. When he was all the way inside, Byakuya looked down at the king and moved his hips. The monarch arched his back, bucking his hips upward as Byakuya closed his eyes and began to writhe on top of him. The king's hands took hold of his hips holding as he bucked upward forcefully, penetrating the noble deeply and seeking the place deep inside him that would offer him the greatest pleasure.

"Byakuya," he moaned, "I want to hear you. I want you to say my name…"

His hips thrust upward, the motion becoming brutal.

"I want you to tell me that you love me…"

Byakuya felt his throat constrict at the thought of it. But there wasn't any choice. To disobey him now wouldn't simply anger him, it might reveal the deception taking place as their coupling progressed. He lowered himself against the king's writhing body, placing his hand on either side of him and matching the king's eager thrusts. He found the king's mouth again and fed him hard, penetrating kisses as the king's voice deepened with passion and he again ordered Byakuya to call out his name.

He felt the king's body shudder heavily beneath him and felt his anger swell at the fact that Byakuya still refused to call out his name. He turned suddenly and overthrew him, forcing him down and inhaling him, clamping down until it was painful. Byakuya moaned and heard the monarch growl with delight. He sucked harder and stroked the noble as Byakuya's body arched off the bed.

"I want you to say my name, Byakuya."

He movd his fingers inside the noble, hooking them and dragging a cry of mingled pleasure and pain from Byakuya's parted lips.

"My name, consort…" he said angrily.

"Y-yosh-iaki," panted Byakuya, his body shaking as hot seed burst out of his shaking form.

The king devoured the salty fluid as though starving for it, then sank down beside Byakuya, sighing. Byakuya rested on his back against the pillows, the ache in his stomach and the nausea returning. The king studied his face in the darkness of the room.

"You are worried that I'll be angry with you."

Byakuya could barely meet the harsh, black eyes.

"I…I am trying, my lord…to please you," he managed.

The king's eyes closed for a moment, then opened and held his intently.

"You try too hard, I think. You want me to think that you are falling in love, but I see that it is forced."

"Am I wrong to try to make the best of my life?" Byakuya asked softly, "You said that I must forget what I left behind…and I am trying. It is…difficult, but I do wish to succeed. I want to learn to be happy here, to welcome your touch…to embrace our lovemaking. But I can see that I am displeasing you at every turn…and I am sorry for that, my lord."

The king moved so that Byakuya's body lay trapped beneath his and rested his head on a pale, sweating shoulder.

"I am not displeased with you. It is difficult during our lovemaking because my urge to drain you of reiatsu is so strong, but I am not truly angry with you."

Byakuya slipped his fingers into the king's hair.

"Arigato, my lord," he said softly, "for your patience."

He kept his fingers moving in the long, silken lengths of the monarch's hair and stroked the skin of his neck, watching as the king drifted off to sleep. He watched the area where he had put the king's clothes and as the king slept, Kirio stepped silently into the room and made her way to where the king's clothes laid. She slipped the key back into its place among the clothes and left the room as silently as she had entered it.

After she had gone, Byakuya tried to go to sleep. He closed his eyes and tried to reassure himself that Aizen Sousuke had entered the spirit dimension and all would be well, but his nerves fought him, making him worry over what could go wrong and how their plans could go awry.

He heard the door open and a messenger stepped into the room.

"Your highness, an urgent message has arrived, sir."

The king rolled away from Byakuya and climbed to his feet, retrieving his clothes and dressing.

"Did the messenger say anything about what could be so important?"

"The messenger is Gin Ichimaru," said the messenger.

Byakuya's blood went cold.

He held still as the king looked back at him to make sure he was sleeping and then left the room. Then, he was on his feet and running for the door, looking for Torio. The youth appeared out of the darkness in the hallway. They stepped back into the room together.

"Where is the soul communicator?" he asked quickly.

Torio handed it to him wordlessly. As he punched in the code, the frightened youth watched.

"Sir, Kirio got the key back to him. She said it would be all right, but then I heard there was an urgent messenger. Do you think they know what we did?"

"The messenger is Gin Ichimaru. It is a good bet that he knows that Sousuke has entered the spirit dimension. If the king finds out…"

He paused as Aizen's voice rose up on the line.

"Sousuke," he said urgently, "Gin is here. He's with the king now!"

"Byakuya," said Aizen in a warning voice, "you have to get out of there and come to the south end of the palace as quickly as you can. We have our spirit energy sealed away so that he won't sense us, and when you get here, we'll do the same for you. We'll hide out until the time is right to move against the king."

"All right, I'm…"

He froze as the door was thrown open and the king flash stepped into the room. Byakuya tried to conceal the communicator in the folds of his clothes, but the king flash stepped to him, grabbed him roughly and forced him up against the wall. The communicator fell out of his yukata and clattered to the floor. The king set his heel down on it and crushed it.

"Where are they?" he demanded, "You distracted me so that she could let them in, didn't you? Where are they, damn you!"

"I don't know what you're…"

"Don't lie to me!" screamed the king, shaking him so hard his head slammed against the wall, making his head spin and his legs weaken beneath him. The king's hands wrapped around his throat and Byakuya lifted his to try to pull them away. Then something struck him in the stomach and he doubled over, dropping to his knees.

"You will tell me where they are or I swear, I will kill you, Byakuya!"

"My lord…I…" he gasped, holding his abdomen.

Pain flashed inside and he dropped the rest of the way to the floor. The king straddled his body and brought a pointing finger to his shoulder.

"Tell me where they are!" he demanded again.

"I swear…I don't…"

"Hado #4, Byakurai."

Byakuya screamed in pain as the kido spell ripped through him and burned into the floor beneath him. The pain raged in his abdomen and he screamed in pain again, clenching his stomach as the room began to fade around him. He heard the king's voice and felt the dull pounding as someone kicked him repeatedly.

He heard Torio pleading for the king to stop, then a flash of kido and a gasp of surprise and pain. He called the youth's name, then heard the heartbreaking sound of a body hitting the floor. The king's voice sounded in his ear again, but he couldn't rise out of the darkness to respond. He sank down into the blackness, not knowing if he would ever rise out of it again.


	10. The Fading

**Chapter 10: The Fading**

**(By request for HaruB13)**

"Sasaki Naoko, what can you tell me about the condition of Kuchiki Byakuya? Were you able to preserve the life of the heir?" asked the king.

_After you beat your consort nearly to death, you are worried about the heir?_

"Your majesty, Kuchiki Byakuya's condition is grave, but the heir is still viable. However, if you wish for your consort to live, you must abandon all hopes of him carrying this child to term. It was difficult enough for his body to endure carrying the heir, but…

_The beating you gave him…the violence of it!_

"…but the injuries he has sustained will not allow him to continue. He has already begun to fade."

The king stepped past the healer, into the room where Byakuya lay, still, silent and hooked up to machines that regulated his breathing and monitored the signs of life. His expression darkened with something that might have been regret, but he forced it away and turned back to the healer.

"Naoko…you are to keep him on life support…until the child can be delivered alive. After that…you may take whatever steps you see fit to try to save him."

He sighed softly.

"It is a terrible thing. I have wanted Kuchiki Byakuya ever since I sensed his birth. I thought that if anyone could carry my heir and make a truly worthy consort, he would. I am deeply saddened to see that although powerful and strong in body, he was too emotionally overwrought by the transition and pregnancy to properly manage things. It was, I think, desperation that caused him to join Kirio in her attempt to overthrow me. I only wish that he had recognized his error before it came to this."

He returned to the noble and leaned over and kissed Byakuya very gently on the forehead.

"I am sorry, my Byakuya. I think that if she had not interfered, you could have learned to be happy remaining at my side. We would have had many happy years before you faded. And now, we are left with only this little one, this small reminder of the brief time that you were here with me. I shall treasure the memory of our lovemaking. Despite everything, I still yearn for you. In my heart, I do hope you survive."

He turned and flash stepped away, leaving the disgusted healer staring after him. He leaned over Byakuya again and carefully checked the monitors. Then, shaking his head sadly, he reached out with his senses to make sure no one was about and slipped out of the room.

"Mika," he said to his assistant, "I am going on a break. I will return soon. Please continue monitoring Kuchiki Byakuya. Do not alter his treatment in any way while I am gone. Send a hell butterfly if he wakes or if anything changes suddenly."

"Yes, sir," the healer said, turning toward Byakuya's room.

Naoko continued out of the healing center and down several hallways. As he went, he checked the reiatsu around him carefully to make sure that he was not followed. He made his way to the south end of the palace and ducked into a small room. Within the room, he pressed a small device in the wall and a door opened in the wall, revealing a hidden passageway. He went inside, carefully sealing the door behind him, then followed the silent passageway into a hidden room. He opened the door and stepped inside, looking around at what appeared to be a storage area.

"You can come out," he said quietly, "I have a report on Kuchiki Byakuya's condition."

At the sound of his voice, Kirio stepped out from behind some boxes, followed by a tall, slender man with brown hair and dark brown eyes, a ginger haired youth, and a red haired shinigami. They gathered around him, looking at him questioningly. Naoko glanced at the brown haired man.

"You said that you had someone in your group who could save Torio's life. Were you able to do that? The poor boy was essentially dead when I brought him to you."

"I placed Torio and the one healing him within a reiatsu cage. We cannot chance the king sensing the girl's presence. He would kill her immediately."

"He would kill all of you on sight," the healer said warningly.

"I still can't believe you brought Orihime with us like that and kept her hidden from her own friends!" Renji said disgustedly.

Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"If you will think back a bit, literally just a day ago, you were our enemy. If you want us to trust you, then you shouldn't hide things from us," he said, sounding only slightly calmer than Renji.

"The two of you need to keep from getting agitated," Yoruichi said reprovingly, "Our powers might be sealed away, but if you get angry, your reiatsu still swells beneath the seal. You run the risk of giving us away. Now, I also don't like the fact that you didn't tell us that you were bringing Orihime, but as you have the most knowledge of our enemy, I am willing to accept that it was necessary. Still, in the future, we need to work in conjunction with each other or we risk being exposed and annihilated. The king is extremely volatile. And we need look no farther than Byakuya to know how dangerous he is!"

Aizen met Yoruichi's eyes and nodded.

"I admit to having been deceptive about bringing Orihime," he said, glancing at Renji and Ichigo, "I agree that from this point, it is necessary for us to work as one, if we plan to succeed."

Renji and Ichigo still looked less than convinced, but nodded in agreement.

"But you said you had an update on Byakuya's condition," Aizen said to Naoko, "What have you found?"

Naoko nodded, biting his lip gently.

"I will not lie to you. Byakuya is in very grave condition. In addition to his physical wounds, the king drained him after…"

He broke off and swallowed hard, his stomach clenching at the memory.

"…after beating him nearly to death. I placed him on life support, but that will not end the threat to his life. The beating and the draining of his power caused him to begin to fade…even though the transition process has not yet been completed. If he continues to carry the heir, then he will also continue to fade at an accelerated rate. He will have to remain unconscious and on life support until the heir is birthed. At that point, if he is removed from it, he will likely just die."

"Have you told this to the king?" asked Aizen.

Naoko's face paled.

"Yes, I told his majesty and he told me to keep Byakuya on life support until the heir was birthed, then to allow him to die."

"He cannot continue this pregnancy," Aizen said quietly.

"The king has placed a seal on the room in which Byakuya lies. No one but healers may enter the room…and Byakuya cannot be removed from it."

"So that's it?" Renji mused angrily, "He just has to lie in that room and slowly die?"

"We can't let that happen," said Ichigo, his eyes flaring, "We have to find a way to get him out of there."

"There is something you need to know…something I knew to hide from the king," Naoko went on, "The heir is not going to survive. The reiatsu has begun to deteriorate. If I do not remove it, it will continue to negatively affect Byakuya's physical state. I know of a way to hide the loss of the heir from the king…but to attempt it, I would need some genetic materials taken from a member of one of his majesty's blood."

"What?" Aizen asked, furrowing his brow.

"Kirio," Naoko said, looking at her hopefully, "You said that you thought you might be able to help me with that."

Kirio nodded and turned to the others.

"You need to understand what I found when I arrived here. I realized rather quickly that something was very wrong…but like Byakuya, I was put in a position where I had no power to do anything about it. What I did manage was to research the situation in Yoshiaki's family histories…and what I found was that, beginning long before my choosing as consort, the king had somehow become corrupted…and he drained his queen of her power, so that he maintained his and yet, she still balanced him. It was at that point that the king was no longer himself. It was then that he became a hollow god. As time moved forward from that point, the royal family began to die off. Each death occurred in a way that was ruled accidental or natural…but the deaths continued until all that remained was the king and queen…and their infant heir."

Kirio stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts.

"I found a hidden set of her diaries…a chronicle of the years of change. It was there that I discovered that although the heir was reported to have died, the queen's diaries indicated that what had really happened was that she had become afraid…because of the changes that Yoshiaki underwent. She faked the crown prince's death…and concealed him within a family in the Rukongai. He has never known who he truly is…and Yoshiaki is not aware he is alive."

"So…what?" Renji mused, his brow furrowing, "We just got in here…and now we have to go and look for this heir?"

"We cannot leave and hope to re-enter," said Yoruichi firmly, "Byakuya was nearly killed getting us in here. We have no way to return if we leave now."

Kirio nodded.

"You are correct," she said in agreement, "You cannot leave. Luckily, you will not have to. You see…the queen's hidden diaries revealed to me the identity of the heir. I made contact with him…and he is in the spirit dimension."

She turned to Naoko.

"So…why don't you fill us in on how you would use the genetic material from this heir."

"Well…the king is able to sense the presence of a legitimate heir to the throne…unless it is cloaked somehow…as Kirio has assured me that this heir's is. The king's heir that is being borne by Byakuya is not cloaked and is therefore, visible to the king. If I remove the dying reiatsu from the spiritual chamber it resides in, within Byakuya's body, then when he comes to visit Byakuya, he will sense that the heir is gone."

"So what can be done?" asked Aizen.

"I can remove the dying reiatsu, but leave the spiritual chamber intact. Then…I can use genetic material from Byakuya and the king's shinigami son to create a new reiatsu…a new heir, but the strain that has been assailing Byakuya will be relieved…and he will bear an heir, as the king wishes, without endangering his own health. The king will sense the legitimacy of the heir and simply assume the child is his. In truth, Byakuya will bear his grandchild."

"But, wait just a sec," Ichigo objected, "If the king is a hollow god, why is his son a shinigami?"

"It is because the original heir appears to have been conceived before the king underwent his transformation to hollow god," Kirio explained.

"But won't the king realize that this heir is a shinigami? Doesn't he know that he impregnated Byakuya with hollow offspring?"

The healer shook his head.

"The king is in a state of denial. He does not recognize, nor accept what has happened to him. That is part of what makes him so dangerous. He maintains that state of denial by forcing everyone here to wear medallions which seal away whatever powers he does not wish for us to have…and they also make us vulnerable mentally, so that we simply follow the orders we are given. Some few of us have escaped this. Kirio assisted me in breaking free. Torio was beginning to free himself, which is why he was suffering so in the presence of the king."

"So," Ichigo said, frowning in disbelief, "it's like everyone here is brainwashed?"

"Except for the consorts and those of us who have freed our minds," the healer said, nodding, "The consorts must be left without controls while they are being drained and so both Kirio and Byakuya realized the wrongness of what was going on, but the cruelty of the situation is that even knowing, they had little power to change anything. Had they not each found a way to contact Aizen Sousuke, then we would all be without hope, right now. Truly, Byakuya's coming into the designation of consort was a good thing for all of us."

"Yeah," Renji said bitterly, "too bad it's nearly been the death of him."

"And now you say that the only way to save him is to impregnate him with the hidden heir's genetic material?" Yoruichi asked, "Are you sure that, in his drained state that Byakuya will be able to carry this heir?"

"Well," said the healer thoughtfully, "If you had asked me that question before Aizen Sousuke explained Orihime's powers to me, I would have said that the situation was hopeless…but knowing what she is capable of doing, I think we can use Orihime's powers to reverse the fading effect entirely. In fact," he said, turning to Kirio, "It is possible that this girl can stop you from fading as well. But to help Byakuya, we need to get her into the room. Her powers will allow her to enter the room…but the king must be distracted away from the palace while she and I see to his healing and the making of the new heir."

"And not to throw water on this whole idea," Renji said, "but we also need to remember that Gin is still here. We have to watch out for him, too."

"So it sounds," Yoruichi said, "like we need to work in teams. Sousuke, Kirio and I will distract the king. Ichigo and Renji can manage Gin. You and Orihime can work together on Byakuya."

"How do we get Gin away from the king?" asked Ichigo.

Aizen smiled a bit too pleasantly.

"It will help to remember that Gin wants to secure his own place as king. He wants us to weaken the king so that he can come in and try to steal the throne for himself," he said quietly, "Perhaps, I should show myself to Gin…and offer to work with him to overthrow the king."

"You think he's going to trust you now?" Renji asked, "You just deceived him to come here to help Byakuya. Why would he listen to you?"

Because Gin is a unique mixture of realist, opportunist and snake. He will agree to help and will work with me to the point where he feels he no longer has to…then he will attempt to stab me in the back."

"But you trust you will be able to anticipate and head off that attempt," said Yoruichi, "Truly, this is a high stakes game of chance you intend to play, Aizen Sousuke."

"I have worked alongside him for some time now," Aizen assured them, "I will anticipate his moves and will remove myself before he becomes too dangerous."

"So you can join Ichigo and Renji to manage Gin," said Kirio.

"No," said Aizen, "He will betray anyone I reveal to him. He needs to think that I have my own designs on the throne."

"Don't you?" said Renji confrontationally, "Isn't that why you said you betrayed us?"

"Renji," said Yoruichi calmly, "I think, given the situation, we need to be honest with ourselves. Aizen Sousuke was right in believing that the king needed to be taken from power."

"Or saved from what he has become," suggested the healer.

The others stared at him.

"He is a hollow god," said Aizen softly, "How would it be possible to save him?"

The healer took a long breath and released it.

"We have his shinigami heir, his consort, Kirio, whom we can restore…and we have a girl who can reject fate…"

"Oh, you are NOT bringing Orihime into this!" shouted Ichigo, "That bastard is too dangerous!"

"Wait, Ichigo," Yoruichi said solemnly, "The king wasn't always this way. Something happened to him, no one even knows what…and he became this way. You were also made into something darker…something you did not wish to be…and you were assisted in staving off a dark fate. Don't you think…that this king deserves the same thing? If we can, then shouldn't we restore him to power?"

Ichigo lowered his eyes, thinking. When he raised them again, he nodded tentatively.

"This king deserves a chance to be restored," said Kirio, "and as I am still his official consort, I want every possible attempt to be made…but that being said, if it is not possible, I wish for the throne to be taken by the king's shinigami son."

She turned to Aizen Sousuke, smiling.

"I was, I am afraid, evasive about my reasons for seeking you, of all people, once I discovered what was going on. My true reason for contacting you is because…you, Aizen Sousuke, are the king's heir."

All around Aizen Sousuke, the room went suddenly silent.


	11. Playing with Snakes

**Chapter 11: Playing With Snakes**

"Shit," said Renji, finally breaking the silence, "that puts a different spin on things…"

Ichigo scratched his head and frowned.

"Now…someone want to explain what the hell is going on? Cause…let's see…When all of this started, Aizen was the sadistic bastard, who killed people and wanted to overthrow the king."

"Right," Renji agreed, "Then Aizen shows up in the Seireitei, and all of a sudden, Gin's the sadistic bastard, the king is evil and we are working with Aizen to save Byakuya from his evil clutches."

"Uh-huh," Ichigo agreed, "NOW, Aizen Sousuke is the corrupted king's son and we are supposed a) impregnate Byakuya while he is unconscious and b) try to fix what's wrong with the king, or we'll have to c) put Aizen Sousuke on the throne."

"Who the hell's side are we on, anyway?" Renji mused.

Yoruichi and Kirio exchanged amused glances and shook their heads. Aizen sighed and stepped closer to them.

"I'll tell you what," he said calmly, "You two just point your swords in the direction I tell you and activate ban kai when it's time. You are here to provide power, not to plan strategy."

"Hey," yelled Ichigo, "you can't order us around like that! Who the hell does this guy thinks he is anyway?"

"Shut up, Ichigo," said Renji, flushing.

"I asked a question," Ichigo persisted, "I asked who the hell he thinks he is!"

"Augh!" shouted Renji, "He's the crown prince, you idiot! That pretty much gives him the right to order us to do anything he likes! Now, shut up!"

Aizen shook his head and turned back to the healer.

"So…you say that you need genetic material to impregnate Byakuya with my child. Is there any way to speak with him prior to the procedure?"

The healer shook his head firmly.

"I can't wake him. He is still comatose. He should regain some awareness after the procedure, but even then, we cannot tell Byakuya that the child he is carrying is not the king's. There is too much of a chance that Yoshiaki will sense that he is being deceived."

"Why can't we simply take Byakuya away from him?" asked Aizen, "If you can slip away to speak with us…then we could have him do the same and we wouldn't even need to bother with making a new heir."

"You don't understand…We still have to figure out how we are going to restore or overthrow the king. While we do that, we need to give Yoshiaki the idea that he has complete control…that the ones who infiltrated are of no concern. The only way to reassure him is to allow Byakuya to remain at his side and to maintain silence until we are ready to make our move. When that time comes, Byakuya will assist us in reaching the king and catching him off guard. Remember that the king knows we are here and that we are plotting against him. He will maintain capable defenses."

"He knows that Byakuya already betrayed him. He nearly killed him for it," Renji reminded him.

"Yes, I hadn't forgotten," the healer assured him, "but what you did not see that I did, was the fact that Yoshiaki apologized to Byakuya…and said that he wished things had been different. He indicated that he believes Byakuya was only drawn in, because he was desperate, not because his heart was set on betrayal. If when Byakuya awakens, he does not remember anything beyond being Yoshiaki's paramour, then the king will begin to believe that he has finally gained Byakuya's heart…and he will lower his guard with him."

"Oh, so now we're stooping to impregnating and brainwashing Byakuya?" mused Ichigo, "Someone remind me…are we the good guys or the bad guys?"

"I think we're just trying to get all of us the hell out of this alive," replied Renji, shaking his head.

"But…how exactly do you propose that we make Byakuya forget?" Yoruichi asked.

"Aizen Sousuke has the use of many levels of hypnosis. He needs only hypnotize Byakuya to forget while he is with the king."

"But what you are suggesting is paramount to leaving Byakuya to the king. We cannot leave him thinking he has been abandoned!" Aizen said sharply, "He has been through enough."

"He will still have to be with the bastard who almost killed him!" exclaimed Renji, "I'm with Aizen! I say that's asking too much!"

"Me too," agreed Ichigo.

The healer sighed.

"Don't you understand? If we are to make a plan to bring us close to the king to defeat him, we need to keep Byakuya at his side."

"But the king will start draining him again!" objected Renji.

"I have a plan for that. I will keep Orihime concealed within Byakuya's treatment room in a reiatsu cage and I will require that Byakuya return to sleep in that chamber each night to restore his reiatsu. That way, the king can sate himself, but not cause Byakuya to fade. Remember that despite his hunger for Byakuya's reiatsu, Yoshiaki has dreamed of having Byakuya as his consort since he was born. He wants very badly for things to work out. If he didn't, he could easily have killed Byakuya as soon as he knew of his betrayal."

"He came pretty damned close," Renji said angrily, "I hope you're not suggesting we give the king another chance to finish the job!"

"We are all risking ourselves to see that things are put right. Byakuya is as committed to that as any of us," Kirio said, silencing the others, "I know the difficulty of what he is enduring and I would not have him spend a day longer with the king, but I also know that he, of all of us, is in the best position to open our path to the king. I would offer myself in his stead, but Yoshiaki does not love me. He never has. He does, in fact, love Byakuya, despite his inability to express it properly. And that means that Byakuya has the best chance to succeed at getting him to drop his guard at the critical moment."

"Well, I don't mind telling you that I hate this idea…from beginning to end," said Renji in a frustrated growl, "but I have no better suggestions…so I will do what I can to help."

"I think Renji speaks for all of us," said Yoruichi, "We will support your plans."

"So where do we begin?" asked Aizen.

"First…we need to make a distraction," the healer said, turning to Ichigo and Renji.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Now, don't screw up, Ichigo," Renji said warningly, "or we're going to end up getting fried! This guy is a god…a hollow god, but a god, just the same."

"Yeah, I know. But it has to be convincing. He has to think we're there to grab Byakuya."

"Come on, the guards are changing."

The two shinigamis flattened themselves against the palace wall and moved along in the shadows, past the guard post and to the set of windows that Kirio had pointed out to them. They waited until the signal came from Yoruichi that the king was in the throne room. Then they scaled the wall and climbed onto the balcony of the king's bedroom.

"Great," said Ichigo, "We're here. So, what do you want to do for a distraction?"

Renji smiled.

"Well, I think we need to do something noisy…"

He drew his zanpakutou.

"Renji, wait. What are you doing?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm going to draw his attention here by releasing my ban kai in his bedroom," the redhead said, grinning, "That bastard's going to pay for hurting my taichou!"

Ichigo smiled widely.

"All right, but don't expect me to sit back and let you have all of the fun."

"Okay, but once we do this, don't forget the part where we are not supposed to get caught!"

I won't!"

They turned toward the bedroom and slipped inside. Silently, they made their way across the room. Renji lifted Zabimaru and was about to release the zanpakutou, when a sharp whistle pierced the air.

"Aw, crap!" exclaimed Renji, "Come on, the kings coming b…"

He broke off as the door suddenly opened and the king stepped into the room. For a moment, the three stared at each other in surprise.

"Shit," breathed Ichigo, drawing his sword, "That wasn't quite how this was supposed to work!"

"Hado #31, Shakkaho!" Renji yelled, firing a blast directly at the king's face.

Next to him, Ichigo fired a blast from Zangetsu, then followed Renji as the redhead bolted back out the window and flew off the balcony. The king turned to follow, calling for his guards.

"Don't let them get away!" he shouted, raising his hands to fire a spell.

"Ichigo, watch out…he's attacking!" Renji shouted, heading for the cover of the nearby forest, "We have to reach the trees before…"

He broke off as a huge fire blast rose up behind them, heading straight for them.

"Move, Ichigo!" Renji yelled.

The two flash stepped toward the cover of the forest, not daring to look behind them. A wall of red fire followed close on their heels, growing closer and threatening to incinerate them and the forest they sought to reach.

"This isn't what was supposed to happen!' yelled Renji.

"Just roll with it!" Ichigo shouted, breaking into the trees, "Maybe he won't destroy his own trees…"

"Idiot!" raged Renji, "He's a god! You don't think he can just make them reappear?"

"You've got a point there," Ichigo acknowledged.

They continued to flash step down the forest trail, with the fire blazing its way through the trees and the heavy swell of the king's reiatsu at their backs. They were nearly at the end of the forested area and about to burst into a meadow.

"Kami, I hope somebody senses this and…"

"And what?" Ichigo snapped, "As you said, he's a god! In case you haven't noticed, we don't have any gods on our team!"

They broke out of the trees, still flash stepping at high speed. The king loosed a volley of fire balls and they felt the heat of the incoming attack on their backs. Suddenly, a brilliant white light flashed all around them and the two felt hands grab them. They were pulled into a forming reiatsu cage and the gate slammed shut. They turned, sighing in relief, then found themselves staring at Yoruichi and a much less ghostly looking version of Hikifune Kirio.

"Thanks for the assist," Renji said gratefully, "but if you don't kind my asking, what happened to you."

Kirio smiled.

"Orihime attempted to restore me…and found that she was able to do so. I am now capable of being far more than merely a source of information."

"Sorry about the king busting in on you like that," Yoruichi said apologetically, "He was busy in the throne room, but suddenly left and we didn't have time to warn you."

"Well, no harm done," Ichigo said gamely, "as long as Orihime and Naoko can get to Byakuya and help him."

Renji dropped down and settled with his back against the wall of the concealing cage.

"I wonder if Aizen has found Gin yet," he mused.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gin stood calmly in the king's gardens, waiting and grinning to himself as he felt Aizen Sousuke's approach. He waited until the reiatsu was close, then turned and scanned the area.

"You might as well come out," he said, looking around again, "I can sense that you are here."

"Are we alone?" said a voice that seemed to come out of the air.

"Yes," Gin replied, his smile widening as Aizen appeared before him.

"So you came to report our movements," Aizen said quietly.

"I came because I found out you were headed for the spirit dimension. I had my own reasons for not wanting to miss out. It's not like the door opens easily."

"But had you anything to report, the king would have allowed you in."

"Certainly, but I wanted to prove that I was right about there being invaders. So, Sousuke, why have you come here? Who are you with?"

"You think I would reveal everything to you? You work for the king…"

"But you know that I have made plans. Perhaps I can help you with yours and you could help me with mine…"

"You would, most likely just stab me in the back, reveal me to his majesty…and I do not wish to brace him just now."

"No?" said Gin, curiously, "So, you are here for someone else. Or someone…perhaps you have come for Byakuya?"

Aizen gazed at him silently.

"You won't be able to get near him. The king has sealed him into a room in the healing center. No one but healers are allowed in. And Byakuya is dying, in any case. He will not survive to bear the king's heir. You should forget him. I told you long ago that you were wasting your time…"

"That is something I can only determine by letting my plans run their course. But…I could use assistance in reaching Byakuya."

"And what's in it for me?" Gin asked, his eyes gleaming.

"I want Byakuya," Aizen told him, "I do not wish to be the king."

"But, you see," said Gin, "I do. So I will help you to reach your dear wannabe lover…and you will help me to overthrow the king. You win, I win, everyone's happy."  
"But I know you, Gin. I know that you will only wait for the right moment and then turn on me…stab me in the back."

Gin laughed softly.

"And you plan to do me in before that…I know. Still, in the meantime, we can help each other, ne?"

Aizen smiled.

"Don't you know that it's dangerous to make deals with the devil?" he said softly.

"Why, Sousuke," Gin replied, "I had planned to say those very words to you!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" called his excited young page.

"Yes, yes, Madoka," the king replied, still scanning the area for signs of the two shinigamis.

"It is Kuchiki Byakuya, my lord! Naoko has asked me to tell you that he has awakened, and he is asking for you!"


	12. Returning

**Chapter 12: Returning**

Naoko took a breath to prepare himself as he felt the approaching flare of the the king's reiatsu. He could tell by it's intensity that Yoshiaki was eager to reach Byakuya's side, so it seemed that the news had the desired effect. He met the king outside Byakuya's treatment room, motioning for him to step into the healer's office first. Looking a bit annoyed at being made to wait, the king moved into the office and stood, frowning, his eyes on the door that was the last impediment between his consort and him.

"I apologize for delaying your reunion with Byakuya, my lord, but I need to speak to you about his condition before you see him."

"Of course," said the king, his eyes remaining fixed on the door, "What happened?"

"My lord, something very strange occurred. I was trying to stop the draining away of Byakuya's reiatsu and found that with a special infusion process I devised, I can cause his body to replenish itself at an accelerated rate. Given that ability, I was able to stabilize the heir he carries as well and both are now in balance. In addition, for reasons I have not yet determined, his fading has somehow reversed itself! I have a suspicion that it may be that the life within him has become aware and is seeking to maintain the balance between them so that it can thrive."

"That is wonderful news!" the king exclaimed, "I understand that he is conscious, and that he wishes to see me."

The healer nodded.

"But before you see him, you need to know…when Byakuya woke, he seemed quite disoriented…understandable, considering how close he came to dying. In any case, by talking with him, I learned that he does not remember anything prior to arriving in the spirit dimension and becoming your consort. He is anxious that he has disappointed you. He remembers that he had angered you, but remembers nothing of why or how."

"I see," said the king, his brow furrowing, "Is there anything else to report?"

"Nothing yet, my lord, but he does appear stable and well enough to leave the treatment room. His condition is stable enough so that you may drain him in small amounts each day to sate your craving, but Byakuya must return to the healing center each night for a reiatsu infusion to stave off his fading. I foresee that once the heir is born, you will be able to continue with his transition, but that unlike other consorts, I can keep him from fading."

"You can…keep Byakuya from fading?" the king mused, a smile playing over his face, "That's extraordinary! Now, you say that he doesn't remember his life in the Seireitei?"

"No…apparently, his injuries were such that those memories were lost. He only remembers what has happened more recently…but you will see. Delay no longer, my lord. Byakuya is eager to see you."

The king turned and flash stepped to the treatment room door, then pushed it open and stepped into the room. Byakuya rested propped up on pillows, a hot cup of tea in his hands. He nearly dropped it when the door opened and placed it on the nightstand, his eyes widening with anxiety as he realized who had entered the room.

"M-my lord?" he said uncertainly, "I am sorry. I know I did something to anger you."

The king waved the words away and sat down on the edge of the bed. Byakuya still looked somewhat pale, but it could, he thought, just be the intensity of his emotions. He sensed great confusion…and tension in his consort's healing body, but he also felt the reiatsu echoes of the life he carried inside him…and it made him smile to know that the reiatsu pulse now appeared to be strong and healthy.

"Byakuya," he said, taking his consort's hands, "There has been some unpleasantness between us…but I want you to relieve yourself of any anxiety over it. That which has caused the situation has passed, and I want nothing more than to get you out of this place and into our room, where you will be more comfortable."

Byakuya gave him a tentative, melting smile.

"You mean that I am well enough to leave?" he asked, "I wasn't sure. I do feel better. And I would like to return to somewhere more familiar. I don't sleep well here."

"I understand," he said, returning his consort's smile, "But before we can leave, we must be sure you are strong enough."

"That is good advice," Naoko said, from the doorway, "Why don't you try standing and walking a bit with his majesty. We shall see if you are ready."

Byakuya turned and slid his legs over the edge of the bed, then bracing himself against the king's arm, he slowly came to his feet. He swayed slightly and his head tilted forward, sending long strands of black hair sweeping down over his face. Yoshiaki reached over to brush them away and encountered Byakuya's hand as he tried to do the same. Byakuya smiled again and his hand dropped as he allowed the king to sweep the strands of hair back to tuck them behind an ear.

He slipped an arm around his consort's slender waist and waited, feeling a flutter inside as Byakuya's hand curled around his arm. He leaned against the king and stepped away from the bed, paused and then continued out of the room.

"How do you feel?" Yoshiaki asked, "Do you feel pain anywhere?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I feel surprisingly well…almost as if nothing even happened."

His brow furrowed cutely in confusion.

"What _did_ happen, my lord?" he asked, clinging to the king's arm as they continued walking out into the hallway.

Yoshiaki shook his head and stopped Byakuya, turning and bringing their faces close together.

"I don't want you to worry about anything that happened before. I am not angry any longer…and I would like to put the unpleasantness behind us. I am pleased you are healing so well…and that our child is safe inside you. These are the only things that matter. I don't want you to torment yourself with any more negative thoughts. All is well between us again."

He leaned forward and captured Byakuya's lips, then found himself both startled and simultaneously touched at the flash of desire in the dark, smoky eyes and the way his consort sank into the kiss. His own desire rose up so suddenly that he nearly gave in to the need, right where they stood in the hall. But reason managed to win out and he lifted the entranced noble into his arms and carried him a short distance into the garden. He found a shaded place beneath the sakura tree where they had been when Byakuya had fallen asleep in his arms before. The lovely, pleased expression on the noble's face told him that Byakuya remembered being there with him.

"You remember being here with me?" he asked, kissing the warm, responsive lips again.

"Hai…I fell asleep in your arms. I remember that it was a comfortable…warm feeling that made me close my eyes and let go of everything."

The king turned to Byakuya.

"You did not have an easy time with your choosing. You had a life that you left behind at my bidding…and it ate away at you. I felt guilt for causing you pain and that, I think, is the root of what went wrong between us before. I feel uneasy at the sudden disappearance of the memories that plagued you so greatly before. I fear moving forward and chancing that they could return…and then you will forget what you feel for me right now, in favor of that old life you left behind at my command."

Byakuya sighed and burrowed into his shoulder.

"I think I worried that I had given up a life of love and service and had taken on a life of emptiness and death. My lord, I worried that you sought me only for my reiatsu…my body…and that you cared nothing for me really. I only sought love from you, but I could not see it when I looked at you before. But I see it now…and I am willing to leave my old life…and all unpleasantness behind to experience that love."

The king smiled.

"And you shall have it. But right now, it is best if you rest calmly here. I do not wish to rush you into anything that may slow your healing. I want to see you fully restored before we…continue our interactions."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed and Yoshiaki felt his breath catch.

"I assure you," the noble said quietly, "I have been fully restored."

He found the kings lips and stroked them tenderly with a pale fingertip.

"I am ready to serve my lord in any way he desires. That _is_ why you brought me here, ne?"

Fire flared in the king's golden eyes, making them reflect warmly in the ones that sought his. He brought his mouth down on Byakuya's, at the same time reaching for the pendant at his throat. He was surprised at the strong feel of the renewed reiatsu. It was even more satisfying than he remembered and as it flowed from Byakuya into the king, they continued an exchange of slow, sweltering kisses that left both reeling.

Yoshiaki wanted to feel wary of accepting what he saw at face value. He sent his reiatsu pulsing through Byakuya's body and reached out with his senses, searching for any sign on falseness or deception, but every indicator pointed to the feelings expressed by the noble being genuine.

As a final test of the noble's intent, he bore Byakuya's body down onto the ground beneath the tree and tore away his clothing, baring the pristine white skin and attacking it hungrily, starting at the soft expanse of his throat, treating it to a series of scathing kisses, long, sensuous licks and delightful suction. His consort's head tilted back, exposing more of the lovely pale skin for him to explore. He savored every inch, then fell upon the slender, muscular chest, lingering over the erect nipples until the noble's hips rose against his and Byakuya's hands gripped his arms tightly. His lips parted and released the king's name with such passion and hunger that Yoshiaki couldn't wait anymore. He lifted himself into a kneeling position, pulling Byakuya up and onto his lap. He gasped wantonly as the creamy thighs parted and the noble's soft, willing body settled down onto him, his legs wrapping around, his head falling forward and the long silken hair lightly tickling Yoshiaki's skin. Byakuya's mouth pleasured the skin of throat and shoulder as he bucked up into the delicious tightness and felt the noble's body tremble delightedly.

"Byakuya," he whispered into the black swirls of sakura scented hair, "My Byakuya!"

He reached in between their sweat-slicked bodies and began to pleasure him as Byakuya's lithe, glowing body writhed hypnotically on top of the king's. The king's eyes raked the slim, beautiful form with a seething look that left Byakuya flushed and panting, and his hands ran down the noble's sides, settling on his hips and driving them up and down harder and faster, until he could hold back no longer. Byakuya gave a hard gasp as the king's body shuddered heavily under his and his hot release seared his consort's insides, making him moan and lower his head onto Yoshiaki's shoulder, closing his eyes and loosing his name in harsh, breathless whispers.

The king stared in fascination as Byakuya's body calmed and he fell nearly motionless, except for the soft heaving of his breast as he caught his breath. Yoshiaki settled back against the sakura tree, pulling Byakuya close and stroking his hair and the bare skin of his back.

"My Byakuya," he said affectionately, "You are incredibly beautiful when we make love. I am so pleased that you have come to return the feelings that I have for you…"

"My lord, I always wanted to serve you well, as is the responsibility of all of the nobles. And I will dedicate my life to making you content," Byakuya said softly, his eyes closing.

Yoshiaki swept his cloak around the two of them and held Byakuya close, his eyes lifting to study the darkening sky and his reiatsu calm. It was late at night when he finally stirred, lifting his deeply sleeping consort and returning him to the healing center to see to the restoration of his reiatsu.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well" said Gin, smirking, "That was a scorcher, wasn't it? Your intended is really quite the wildcat in bed…I was actually salivating."

He caught sight of the dark look Aizen shot him and laughed softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sousuke. A little too close to home, ne? Well, don't worry. Soon that king will be dead and you will have his saucy little consort all to yourself! Too bad about them having that baby, you know. But cheer up…maybe Byakuya will take an unexpected fall down the stairs or something…"

"You will do no such thing," Aizen said in a dead calm voice, "or I will kill you."

"Hmmm," mused the silver haired shinigami, "quite a strong reaction, considering this is the child of you would be lover and the king you want to topple…you are just all kinds of contrasts these days, aren't you? It's quite the challenge keeping up with your thinking! But don't worry. I am patient. I will figure it out…and I will do what needs to be done."

He turned and flash stepped across the gardens and out of sight. Sousuke returned to the palace and worked his way through the secret passages to the healing center. He arrived at the secret entrance just as the king leaned over to kiss Byakuya good night, then flash stepped away. Sousuke looked around, spotting the healer and slipping out of the passageway to join him.

"Did he lift the seal?" Aizen asked, looking through the door, into the room where Byakuya slept.

"Hai," the healer confirmed, "as soon as Byakuya woke and called for him. Your powers are impressive, Aizen Sousuke. If I hadn't known what you did, I wouldn't have guessed that Byakuya wasn't head over heels in love with the king."

Sousuke sighed in annoyance.

"Yes, I've done such a good job turning the two into the perfect couple, it's becoming real. I don't like this. It isn't right, turning his mind in circles like this…deceiving him. I know it's for all of the right reasons, but…"

"But it does feel wrong," agreed the healer, "Well, now that the king is gone for the night and the seal has been lifted, you should go and see him."

Aizen stared in at Byakuya's sleeping form and frowned thoughtfully.

"Go on," said the healer, "You went to a great deal of trouble to reach him. You should spend some time with him."

"He looks too content…I shouldn't wake him. It would only tire him."

He started toward the passageway, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"You should go in there, while he is himself. He will realize at some point that you are avoiding him if you don't go and visit him."

"Well," said Aizen, noncommittally, "I suppose you are right."

He turned back to the healing room and passed through the door. He slipped into a chair at Byakuya's side and watched as Orihime used her power to restore his reiatsu, then disappeared back into the protective reiatsu cage. After she left and the healers left the room, he removed his zanpakutou from its sheath and released Byakuya from its influence. As the deception fell away, the noble's eyes opened and looked up at the man sitting next to him. He sat up slowly, looking as though he could barely believe his eyes.

"Sousuke," he said softly, leaning forward and sinking warmly into the other's arms, "I can't believe you're actually here…"

"You told me that you needed me," replied Sousuke, kissing his forehead, then brushing their lips together, "Where else would I be?"


	13. Affection and Lies

**Chapter 13: Affection and Lies**

Byakuya rested against Aizen's shoulder, one arm looping around him and his other palm slipping beneath his shirt and resting on the warm skin of Aizen's muscular chest. He felt the heart that raced softly beneath his hand and felt a stirring warmth in his own.

"I am glad you're here," Byakuya said quietly, "I had begun to lose hope that I would ever see my home again. You have brought that hope back to me. I had always dreamed of being called here to serve in the royal guard…alongside my forebears who left the Seireitei to serve our king. But everything about this place, my place in it…even my king…is nothing but an ugly lie…a sea of false promises…a void of anything that resembles honor or beauty."

The dark brown eyes met his for a moment, then looked away.

"The spirit dimension is supposed to be a beautiful place. I've never seen such lovely gardens, a bluer sky, a more radiant moon…Byakuya. It is not this place, but the evil you have encountered that has blinded you to the beauty that surrounds you. Once that evil has been defeated, your vision will return…and you will see this place shine as it is meant to."

"Will I?" Byakuya asked softly, "because I can't see that. I was a person whose life had meaning, whose power had an honorable purpose, who was a caretaker of the king's favored family. Now I exist to be slowly drained of life, to have my power devoured day by day and I am not even allowed to see the members of the clan I protected. I'm nothing…nothing but his whore. He loves me only so long as I provide him with reiatsu or sex. He mouths the words that say he cares for me, that it isn't just about those things, but I feel the truth every time he puts his hands on me."

He paused, sinking deeper into Aizen's embrace.

"And every time he touches me…a little more of me falls away and disappears. I believed once that the nobles were created to be his chosen, powerful defenders of peace in Soul Society and the living world, that he had an honorable purpose for each of us as his hands shaped us and we took our forms…that what we were protecting was our future. But the noble families are nothing but a breeding ground for heavenly bodies to be defiled in his bed, for pure power to feed his hunger…and in truth, we are the protectors of his lies…Sousuke, I'm sick at heart. Nothing is as I thought it was…nothing."

Warm hands captured his face and even warmer lips touched his to stop the cold words.

"Don't do this to yourself," Aizen whispered, "Your vision of things was not wrong."

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked, desperation in his voice, "Sousuke, he created me with this in mind! I was made to be brought here and used like this…to be devoured by him. From the moment I drew breath, he desired me…and I had to ask myself what he would have desired, even from the day I was born…and I am left to conclude that it was because of the taste of my reiatsu, because of my commitment to obey and serve him, and because I could give him a child. While I dreamed of falling in love, of devoting my life to the protection of my loved ones…he dreamed of bringing me to this place and taking away everything."

"This isn't what you were made to be, Byakuya…"

"No…you're wrong," Byakuya insisted, tears filling his eyes, "Think about it! I was made after the king was already corrupted. This _is_ what I was made to be."

He buried his face in Aizen's shoulder, sobbing silently. Aizen breathed on the soft scent of his hair and sighed in frustration, hating himself for not being able to say the words he wanted to say. He tried desperately to think of something to say to ease the weight on Byakuya's heart, but had to conclude that in the coldest sense, the noble was right. But that wasn't the whole of things…nor was it the end of them, he reasoned. He gathered himself to convey the thought, but was stopped in his tracks by Byakuya's next words.

"…and this child I carry…Sousuke, it's the biggest weight of all. Because I shouldn't be having his child…if anything, it should be ours."

Aizen froze.

"What do you mean?" he whispered.

"I couldn't say it before," Byakuya whispered back, "because of the expectations of my clan…because we were taichous in the Gotei 13 and it was against the rules…but everything you said…about us being right for each other…about how we made sense while the worlds around us didn't, I felt the same."

"But you said that…"

"I know. I had to. But it didn't come from my heart. I said what I did because of my dedication to my clan, because of the rules and laws that bound me, not because I didn't return your love. I loved you then…and I do now. But Sousuke…I am the king's consort. I carry his child, and I am to be married to him! Everything is in pieces and it's because I didn't say what I felt while we still had the chance to do something about it. I chose this path, thinking that it was the rightful one…the one that might be more difficult and lonely, but that it was what was meant to be. And I have to live with that. And looking into your eyes, I see the cost of my mistake…so I will ask you to do something for me. I will do as we have agreed and make certain that you reach the king to confront him when you are ready. But when you kill him…and when you take his place on the throne…I…want you to…"

Aizen caught his breath sharply and covered Byakuya's mouth with his hand.

"Do not say those words, Byakuya," he said, "No matter what you think right now…there is still hope for us. We can finish this and be happy together. Don't give up."

"Why would you want to be with me now?" Baykuya asked miserably, "All I've done to this point is misjudge you…and disappoint you. I never even told you how I really felt about you!"

"I knew," Aizen said, kissing his tears away, "That's why I left the letter and the soul communicator. Byakuya…I knew."

"But how are we supposed to fix this, Sousuke? You are the king's enemy…and I carry his child. You have to kill the king…and end his line. You cannot afford to let his heir be born. You know that!"

"Byakuya," Aizen said, taking the noble's face in his hands and staring into his tormented expression, "I swear to you that we will be able to fix this. But I need your trust. There are…things I can't tell you…because we cannot risk the king sensing them if you knew. I promise you, when we confront the king, you will understand what I'm talking about. And we will be happy together. Trust me, Byakuya…tell me that you will trust me."

The dark, haunted eyes met his wearily and he nodded briefly. Aizen pulled him close again and fed him hard and passionate kisses until the torrents of dark emotion within him eased and he returned the kisses with equal fervor. When Aizen finally pulled away, Byakuya's cheeks and throat were sweetly flushed and his heart pulsed rapidly beneath his skin.

"Sousuke," Byakuya said breathlessly, "We should stop. He'll…know we've been together."

Aizen smiled.

"He won't know anything," he assured the noble, touching Kyouka Suigetsu, "When you are with him, you have been hypnotized to respond to him. You will not anger him, and in fact, are slowly blinding him to everything but you. He is truly falling in love with you now…well, inasmuch as a hollow can love."

Byakuya closed his eyes and a sick feeling passed through him. He tried to breath slowly and to push the feeling away, but it overwhelmed him. Seeing his distress, Aizen helped him out of bed and watched sympathetically as he flash stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He sighed and shook his head, again feeling the wrongness of what they were doing.

"He's not handling this very well, is he?" asked a feminine voice behind him.

Aizen turned and met Kirio's eyes for a moment, then nodded.

"It's eating away at him. Kirio…he is losing hope. I think I built him up a bit. He has said that he will trust me…but he also tried to ask me to kill him when I overthrow the king."

"He…"

"I didn't let him finish saying it, but we both understood what he was asking. This is cruel…keeping him in the dark, like this. He needs to know that child is ours…and that I am the king's heir. So much of his suffering could be taken away if he could just know those things. My Kyoka Suigetsu is strong enough to keep the king from sensing. I can't keep lying to him like this."

"Lying to me about what?" Byakuya asked from the bathroom doorway.

Aizen turned and met the noble's shattered expression.

"Byakuya…it's nothing…"

"Really?"

"I told you," Aizen said starting toward him, "there are things that I cannot say, because the king would sense them and we would fail in our mission. I swear to you…I will tell you anything you wish to know when…"

"No," Byakuya said, backing away, "I don't believe you. Everyone here is telling me lies. No one is telling me the truth…"

"Byakuya," Kirio said calmly, "remember who you are. You are a member of the Kuchiki clan. You come from a proud, honorable family…"

"I come from a family of his majesty's whores!" cried Byakuya, "There is no honor in the noble families, Kirio! You know that! You have _been_ where I am!"

"No," the consort said sternly, "I have not, Byakuya…and that is why I could not escape him. The king is in love with you. He never loved me. He never fully trusted me. He is different with you."

"Because he thinks I have fallen for him…and you…you want him to think that so that you can use me to get to him. But I am not doing this anymore! I am not listening to you anymore! Get away from me!"

He flash stepped to the door and burst through it as Kirio and Sousuke turned and flash stepped after him.

"Byakuya wait!" Aizen called after him.

Byakuya flash stepped down the turning hallways, back to the place where he had first entered the palace. He fired a blast of kido at the guards, sending them crashing to the ground and sending the palace into a state of alert. Behind him, the doors began to fly open and royal guardsmen flowed out into the courtyard. He turned away and ran into the forest as kido fire rose up behind him.

"Byakuya! Stop!" cried a voice that sounded like Renji's.

He continued through the forest, headed for the dimension wall. As he ran, he felt the swift royal guard officers closing in behind him, their reiatsu flaring. Byakuya reached out with his senses, seeking the weakest point in the dimension wall and flash stepped madly toward it, with the royal guard following. As he reached the end of the forest, he created a compact sphere of reiatsu and forced all of his power into its confined space. He knew he only had one chance to break out of the spirit dimension. The royal guard would be on top of him immediately if he failed. And even if they didn't…the backlash of the blast if it didn't penetrate the wall would probably kill him anyway. He closed in on the wall, feeling the hot flash of incoming attacks on his back. He spun off to the side, barely evading them and threw his hands, palm forward, holding the compacted sphere of reiatsu out in front of him. He threw his body against the dimension wall, forcing the sphere into it, then releasing all of the compacted power in a huge, fiery explosion. Red fire flared all around him, scorching his skin and smoldering on his clothing. The wall shuddered and he felt himself push forward into the weakened place.

The force of the explosion threw the royal guardsmen off their feet and forced them to draw their weapons and come after him. He pushed harder into the weakened place, gathering himself and releasing a smaller blast, directly upon the site of the first.

"Stop!" cried the royal guard taichou, "You won't make it! It will collapse on you!"

Byakuya felt a cold stab of fear as he realized that the wall was indeed, repairing itself. He gathered himself again, and attacked the wall, but was too weakened to break through.

"Getsugatenshou!" cried a familiar voice.

A huge blast hit the wall just above him, shattering the area and creating a space just large enough for him to break through.

"Run, Byakuya!" cried Renji, "Get out of here!"

He looked back and saw the two flash stepping away with the royal guard on their heels. Giving a sigh of gratitude, he burst through the opening and flash stepped out of the spirit dimension and back into Soul Society. He heard the alarms sounding on both sides of the wall now and turned in the direction of the Kuchiki Council Hall. He forced himself to continue flash stepping at top speed, even as the extended use of it burned on his already seared flesh. If he paused for a moment, he knew they would have him. He tore down the trail and into the central area of the Seireitei, breathing easier as the familiar shape of the council hall rose up ahead of him. He raced up the steps and inside the doors, then slammed his palm down on the security panel just inside, setting the alarms shrieking and sending the building into lockdown. He turned and burst into the council chambers, placing a kido lock on the door, then turning to face the stunned council. The new clan leader at the head of the table stood and faced Byakuya, his face stern.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, "Are you in the habit of bursting into meetings unannounced and disrupting things in the spirit dimension, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

"I have returned to you to give you a warning. You must mobilize the noble families. The king has been corrupted. He is using consort after consort to feed his growing power…but he is not himself! He is a hollow god!"

The councilors observed him with confused expressions. The leader's eyes darkened and his reiatsu flared.

"And what leads you to believe this?" he said, his voice laced with sarcasm, "Our interactions with those coming out of the spirit dimension have indicated nothing of the sort. Why should we believe anything is amiss?"

"He drains my reiatsu every day…and he drained his former consort until she began to fade! That is why I was selected…but he only wanted me to supply reiatsu for him to consume. He…is violent…dangerous! He forced conception of his child on me before the former consort even faded entirely. And if I too, fade, he is likely to choose another from among our clan to continue feeding him! Tatsuo, you are the leader, chosen in my stead. You have the power to call the noble families together."

"And," said the clan leader, "what then do you expect us to do at that point? Sacrifice ourselves to save just you? That's rather selfish, don't you think, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

"The king must be stopped! If he is not, it endangers far more than just me!" Byakuya insisted, "All of you would be vulnerable too…do you understand. It won't end with me!"

"What I understand," said Tatsuo coldly, "is that a member of our family was called for the honor of being the king's consort. At that time, it became his duty…your duty, Kuchiki Byakuya, to see to the needs of the king. If you do that, then there is no danger to anyone else. If the balance is maintained, all is well."

"If the balance…Tatsuo, there is no balance! The king has corrupted himself to the point where he drains the life out of his…"

"As is his privilege…and you will call me Tatsuo-_sama_. I am _your_ leader while you are a guest in this dimension, Byakuya."

"I am not a guest, Tatsuo!"

"Tatsuo-_sama_," the other corrected him darkly, "and if what you have told us is the truth, you are correct about not being a guest. Your current state and your message tells me that you are a fugitive of the spirit dimension. As such, I order that you shall be removed from this place and turned over to the Gotei 13!"

Byakuya stared.

"I am not to even be offered clan justice?" he asked in a shocked voice.

"Clan justice…" the other repeated, "You are an embarrassment to this family, Kuchiki Byakuya, as you have been since you demanded the right to marry that peasant woman! We put up with your flouting of the rules, but it seems you have carried the habit with you, right to the king, himself. But…I will offer this placation…if you truly carry the king's heir. I will consider it a sign that you speak the truth…and you will be allowed to plead your case before an official council."

He stepped forward, followed by the other councilors. They formed a circle around him and each reached out a hand to rest it on him. They lowered their heads and focused deeply, sending their reiatsu into his body, where it swirled around the baby's reiatsu. They remained there, touching him for several minutes, before stepping back and staring at him.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Tatsuo asked coldly.

"What do you mean?" asked Byakuya.

"What I mean is…did you really think you would be able to pass Aizen Sousuke's child off as a son of the spirit king?"

Byakuya froze.

"But I've never…"

"Shut your lying mouth!" said the clan leader, "It is clear that somehow you have become impregnated with Aizen Sousuke's child and are seeking to place him on the throne instead of our rightful king! You came here to set us against him! You wanted us to help you kill him and you planned to help our enemy seize control!"

His words disappeared into the sound of heavy kido blasts and the doors to the council room were suddenly blown apart. Secret mobile corps flash stepped into the room and cast binding kido spells that sent Byakuya crashing to the floor. Soi fon stepped forward and glared down at him.

"We received word that a fugitive from the spirit dimension broke out of that place and came here. Kuchiki Byakuya, you are under arrest for high treason…for defying the order of our king. If you are found guilty of this crime, then you will face the Soukyoku!"

She turned to Tatsuo.

"Do you wish to claim clan rights to try him?" she asked.

"No," said Tatsuo, "he has proven himself unworthy to be accorded our justice…even to wear our name. Take him…and give him the punishment he deserves for his treachery!"

Byakuya fell silent and provided no resistance as he was lifted and brought to his feet. Soi fon fastened his hands carefully behind his back. As he was led away, Byakuya stopped at the door and gazed back at Tatsuo.

"Tatsuo-_sama_," he said darkly, "I hope you aren't too comfortable wearing that kenseiken…because when I am executed, you will likely be next to be called to serve him. You might give that some thought."

He turned away and allowed himself to be quietly led from the room.


	14. Waiting

**Chapter 14: Waiting**

Byakuya walked quietly toward the first division, hands bound and surrounded by secret mobile corps. He kept his exterior calm, but inside, his mind was spinning.

_How can I be having Aizen Sousuke's child? How? It's not…_

But given that Sousuke had said that there were things he couldn't say…because the king might sense them if Byakuya was aware of them…it did make some kind of sense. As they walked, he worked through the details.

_The king did not sense that this is Aizen Sousuke's child…which means that either the king was lax in his use of his powers or the council lied. I know they are not on my side, but I refuse to believe they would go so far as to lie about the paternity of my child. Every council member looked and saw the same thing. Perhaps when Yoshiaki looked, it was not at so discriminating a level. That makes sense. He wants to believe this is his child and the council was inclined not to believe it until proven. They were simply more thorough. That makes this Aizen Sousuke's baby…but that means that for the king to have sensed royal blood, then Sousuke must have a significant amount…and that means…_

It made Aizen Sousuke a member of the royal family. Byakuya thought back to the long, gradual dying off of the royal family over the years. Placed against the backdrop of the king's corruption, it seemed that the king had slowly obliterated his own line. He had likely drained them first…and then resorted to draining his consorts. But as time went on, he needed to be assured of his family's continuance and so tried to conceive an heir. But if he had not been able to stop himself from draining the rest of his family, would any child of his be safe from him? It was a haunting question. It nagged at Byakuya's mind as he was led into the first division and instructed to kneel and wait for the arrival of the Captain Commander.

As his knees touched the wooden floor, he suddenly realized how odd he must have looked to everyone…unkempt and ash smudged, dressed in his nightclothes and barefoot…his hair loose and unbrushed. He didn't look anything like the person he had been. He almost couldn't blame the council for calling him an embarrassment, although they had actually done it for other reasons. He started to sink into darker thoughts, but realized suddenly that someone was standing in front of him. He looked up and met Soutaichou's eyes warily.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," he said in an unexpectedly gentle tone, "I understand you were responsible for the breach in the dimension wall…that you broke through it and fled the spirit dimension and the royal guard. They have a detachment waiting to see to your return to the palace."

"I understand, Soutaichou," Byakuya said, bowing his head, "and I will not offer resistance. It is enough for me that you know what is happening in the spirit dimension…what has happened to our king…"

The captain commander studied him intently, then nodded.

"I have suspected for some time that something was amiss."

Byakuya looked up in surprise.

"You have?"

"Yes," the elder answered, frowning, "As you know, the bond between your noble family and mine is profound. Your grandfather and I were fast friends…and because of my position as soutaichou, I was able to be in contact with him, even after he was called to join the royal guard. I lost contact with him some time ago, but at first, thought that it was merely that his responsibilities were so demanding. Still, it left me uneasy. And your choosing as consort both surprised and unsettled me. I could not oppose your choosing and I decided, in any case, that you must go to the king as called so that suspicion would not be cast on the Gotei 13. It could have caused the king to be angered and to take action against us. But I have heard of your claim that the king is corrupted. I want you to tell me what you know."

He paused, withdrawing his zanpakutou.

"We will need privacy, I think."

He whispered something to the blade and a sphere of fire rose around them. Byakuya expected to feel the sting of heat on his singed skin, but was surprised that the area around them remained cool and comfortable, despite the flames…but cool or not, he knew those flames were deadly. He remained on his knees, looking up at Soutaichou and waiting.

"We may speak freely now," he said finally.

He knelt in front of Byakuya.

"You look as though you are in need of healing. I will send for Unohana taichou once we are finished speaking. Now…I want you to start at the beginning and tell me everything."

Byakuya nodded.

"Upon my departure from the Seireitei, the royal guard escorted me to the royal palace, where I was presented to the king. At that time, he told me that the current consort, Hikifune Kirio was fading, and that when she faded entirely, he would take my hand in marriage and I would replace her as consort."

"This was as expected…except for the fading of the former consort. Did he say what caused her to fade?"

"He did not. She did later, but I will get to that. The king explained to me that it would be my job to balance his power. To do this, he said that I must be drained of all spiritual pressure and be separated from my zanpakutou. The process of transition would occur day by day and would take nearly a year to complete. Had the process been completed, I would have been rendered completely powerless and without spiritual pressure."

The captain commander's brow furrowed and his expression became troubled.

"I have never heard of this being done. The king does need a consort to balance his power, but I have never heard of the consort needing to be drained as part of the process."

"According to Kirio, at some point in the past, the king was somehow corrupted. His power expanded and grew, uncontrolled. That was when Kirio was chosen as consort. The king admitted that he would have chosen me then, if not for my young age. She was transitioned and became his consort. She was able to balance his power, but over time, she began to fade and I was chosen. After I was presented to the king and he explained my role, I was taken to his chambers so that we would conceive his heir. We were successful."

"But I have heard from your elders that the child you carry is Aizen Sousuke's…and that you seemed surprised by this."

"Yes…I thought I was carrying the king's child. I knew Aizen Sousuke was in the spirit dimension."

"How so?" asked Soutaichou, lifting an eyebrow.

"Some years ago, Aizen Sousuke and I were friends…and we drifted toward becoming lovers, but I was not able to take that step. I withdrew from him and we drifted apart. When he left for Hueco Mundo, he secreted a letter in my home. I found it, but never opened it. For some reason, as I prepared to leave for the spirit dimension, I slipped the letter into my kimono. It was after I was in the spirit dimension that I opened the letter and learned that Aizen Sousuke was aware that the king was corrupted…that this was why he was opposing him…and that Gin was behind what happened just before they left."

"So…you are saying that he was forced to do as he did?"

"Hai…Gin was ordered by the king to observe Sousuke and discovered that he knew the king was corrupted. He threatened to reveal Aizen's plans to the king unless he helped to set Gin up to overthrow the king. Sousuke went along with him so that he could build an army to brace the king. He wanted to help Kirio…and when I found a soul communicator in the letter he left for me, I called him and he agreed to come to the spirit dimension to help rescue me and to put a stop to what the king was doing. Kirio managed to steal the king's key while I was distracting the king…and she let Sousuke and his rescue team in. Unfortunately, the king discovered that they broke in and that I was involved…and he attacked me so viciously, I lost the heir. At least…that is what I surmise. Sousuke said that he could not tell me everything, because the king would sense what I knew. As I know now that I carry Sousuke's child, I believe it means that when I lost the heir, the healer replaced him with a child fathered by Aizen Sousuke."

"But surely the king would know the child was not royal…"

"He would. And that leads me to believe that Sousuke has royal blood of a significant amount in him. He may be a lost cousin…or a lost heir. I don't know…but the king believed the child to be his. Now, he will learn it is not…and he will seek Aizen Sousuke to discover exactly who he is. I do not know what he'll do when he knows."

"But you do know what he will do to you when he learns that you are having another man's child. It is a capital offense. Byakuya, he will have you executed."

Byakuya lowered his head and nodded briefly.

"He will likely have me executed here…without him ever facing me. I doubt he will want to see me, because he will believe that I did this knowingly. Soutaichou, I understand…and I accept my fate. But I beg of you…you must stop the king…and you must not let harm come to Aizen Sousuke…please, Soutaichou…"

"Byakuya," said the aged warrior, "tell me one more thing. Tell me why you sought no help from Kuchiki Ginrei. What has come of my old friend?"

"Hai…As a means of keeping word of his corruption from leaving the spirit dimension, all but the consorts live under an enchantment. I saw my grandfather…and he was not himself. He only repeated what the king told me. He…"

Byakuya paused, swallowing hard and blinking back tears.

"He told me…that I should be proud of the role I was to play. Soutaichou, my grandfather raised me to be a clan leader. He raised me to lead a military division. I know he would never be able to stomach seeing me like this…a decoration at the king's side, a body to warm his bed, a doll to be used to entertain him. I've been reduced to nothing…and I assure you, I am left without fear of death now. Death would be a relief…after what I've endured at the king's hands."

The captain commander sat silently for several long minutes, thinking. He sighed softly and slipped a hand beneath Byakuya's chin. He gazed down into the dark, defeated eyes and the fire of his anger flared all around them.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," he said in a low voice, "you are the grandson of the friend I remember…the friend who needs me to free him. I will help you. But there is something I must do. I hope you will understand. It is for your own protection."

Power flared around Byakuya too suddenly for the noble to respond. It sank down beneath his skin, flashing in his veins and sending him down into a heap on the floor. The captain commander lifted him and carried him to a bed the materialized in the center of the sphere. He set the unconscious noble down on the bed, sighing.

"I will not let harm come to you. Sleep. You are safe now. No one will approach without my leave. I will go and see to Ginrei, then we will figure out what to do about the king."

He placed a hand on Byakuya's forehead, deepening his sleep, then the captain commander's body shimmered and slowly disappeared from the sphere.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kirio, what are we to do now?" Sousuke asked, looking out the window at the darkened sky, "He has disappeared. I sensed him leaving the spirit dimension after Kurosaki Ichigo helped him break through the wall. I know he reached the Kuchiki council hall and then was apprehended and taken to the first division. I felt his presence there. And then, it seems that he just disappeared."

"He will have told his story to the captain commander…and I remember that Soutaichou and Kuchiki Ginrei were always very close. Sousuke, I think, perhaps, he has taken action to conceal Byakuya's presence somewhere…to keep him safe."

"To keep him safe, while doing what? Will he come to the spirit dimension?"

"I think it most likely," Kirio said with conviction, "I think he will come to assess the situation, himself, and to learn what has befallen Kuchiki Ginrei."

"But we don't know what he'll do if he encounters us, do we? Because Byakuya didn't know the whole truth of things…who knows what exactly he told Soutaichou!"

"Just remember," Kirio said firmly, "Whatever Byakuya may not have known, he would have told Soutaichou that we were his allies. He will at least give us the opportunity to tell our story. But as my association with him at last meeting was more positive than your own, you should allow me to handle speaking with him upon his arrival."

"And how will he enter the spirit dimension without the king knowing?" asked Aizen, "We had to have our spirit energy sealed away when we crossed over…"

"Soutaichou is very competent," Kirio insisted, "He will be able to conceal his reiatsu. I have no doubt that he will come here. And when he does, we must be ready to take action."

"And what will we do?" Aizen mused, "Kirio, this is no longer some stranger we are talking about. This is my father…who has been corrupted and is lost, but he remains my father. I know that I was hidden from him for my own safety, but perhaps seeing me…and knowing who I am will help things."

"If he lets you speak before he kills you, Sousuke," Kirio said warningly, "He will have heard from his operatives in the Seireitei that Byakuya carries your child and not his. He will be furious and might attack first and ask questions later!"

Aizen shook his head in frustration.

"This just gets more and more confusing. How do I get him to listen? And even if he listens to me…how do I help him to regain his uncorrupted form?"

"I've been thinking about that…and I have an idea of how to go about it. It will require the use of your zanpakutou. If you can hypnotize the king, then perhaps we could use Orihime to restore him to the way he was before. We will have to be cautious to conceal her from him, because if he senses her power before he is hypnotized, he would probably kill her…and all of us as well."

"So I will conceal her using my Kyouka Suigetsu and bring her to the king. That means that I will have to reveal myself."

"Yes," agreed Kirio, "He is of the mind to have an heir and he has thought you dead for all of this time. He may simply forget about Byakuya and the false heir in favor of connecting with you."

"Maybe," said Aizen thoughtfully, but I wouldn't count on it. I will also conceal Abarai, Kurosaki and Yoruichi and bring them with us for added power…if we end up needing it."

Kirio nodded.

"So I think we have our plan."

"Yes," agreed Sousuke, blinking slowly, "And now that that is taken care if, we have but to wait for Soutaichou to arrive."

"I think we'll need to stay close to Kuchiki Ginrei. Soutaichou will come to see him, so if we are nearby, then we can intercept him."

"A good plan," agreed Aizen, "as long as he doesn't attack me on sight."

Kirio sighed.

"I will show myself first."

"Good thinking," Aizen said, smiling, "Well, that's settled. Now the only other thing we have to consider is Gin. When this all goes down, he will try to kill the king. We have to take him out before then."

"He is very dangerous. How do you think we will be able to stop him?"

"The only way to stop a snake from striking is to kill it," Aizen said calmly, "I will dispatch Gin before we go to the king."


	15. Surrender

**Chapter 15: Surrender**

Byakuya stirred softly and woke to find himself sealed away inside the room in which the captain commander had left him. The sphere still burned around him, cutting him off from what was happening outside, but even in this quiet, removed place, he knew what must be happening. Given that Soutaichou had believed his story, the captain commander would be heading for the spirit dimension…with Byakuya safely removed, but his to bring forth for the final confrontation…or so Soutaichou thought.

But the more that Byakuya rested on the bed, his eyes on the fires burning around him, the more he felt that it was wrong for him to be locked away while his future was set for him. He had lost control of his entire life when he was called into the spirit dimension…

_No…it was even before that. From the beginning, from the day I was born, I was his. Like it or not, I was conceived in his mind, to suit his purposes. Despite my wish to be free to choose my own path, I see now that I was deceived. I never had any choices to make. Always, he watched and waited…waited until I was old enough…then he called me to his side. And even now, I am his puppet. I live and breathe by his leave and I will die at his command. I was not made by a god, but by a monster…and it is to that monster I must go to meet my fate. I won't fight it anymore. I will go to him…and ask him to let the others go. It will be my final wish…and because I am sentenced to die, he will honor it._

_And I will simply cease to be…_

_My life…and everything I loved in it, was all a lie. I was not meant to lead my clan, to lead men into battle or to love and protect. I was meant to please his eyes, to be the softness that touches his hand, to pleasure his body and to give up everything I am, to provide balance. I accept that now…that I am the product and property of the hollow king…that the spirit king was overwhelmed by him long before he could have conceived of me. And even should the spirit king be returned, still I will fall with the one who made me. It is inescapable…_

He lifted himself from the bed and walked to the center of the room. As if sensing what he was about to do, the protective flames flared and swelled. Byakuya lowered his head and let the reiatsu rise around him. He pictured the throne room, where he sensed the king waiting…waiting for him…and waiting for rescue. He could see the golden eyes lift and he felt them touch him. He met the golden orbs, unafraid and extended a hand. There was the harsh sensation of falling, then the king's hand touched his. He stepped down lightly and landed in front of the throne, his hand still touching his king's.

"Byakuya," the king said in a voice that revealed nothing of his thoughts, "You have returned to the spirit dimension willingly. This means…that you accept your fate?"

Byakuya met his eyes squarely. He felt eerily calm as he sensed the last minutes of his life passing…but he was resolved inside, the inner turmoil having given way to this choice to take the hand of death.

"I will accept whatever fate my king desires," he answered softly, "for even in having failed you, I remain your servant. I only plead with my lord to be free to speak with him before I die. I will take no action to absolve myself, but only seek to earn my lord's understanding."

"And you think I wish to listen to your excuses?" Yoshiaki asked, an edge of coldness to his voice.

"No…but I would offer my lord the comfort of knowing that this body never sinned against him."

"What?" said the king, his voice rising in anger, "How then, is your body bearing another man's child? And how am I to believe that while you worked behind my back to bring Aizen Sousuke to the spirit dimension…while you pleasured me and pretended our love was mutual, you couldn't wait to lie down with my own son!"

"What? Sousuke is…?"

"Yes…once I heard from the Seireitei about the elders finding that the baby was his, I discovered the truth. Do not pretend you did not know. You worked with him. You had to have known!" the king insisted, "Do you really think me that much of a fool, Byakuya?"

"I give you my word, my lord, I did not know or suspect that Sousuke had royal blood when I assisted him in coming into the spirit dimension. I only learned of it when the Kuchiki elders informed me that the child was his. I was never with him, but can only assume that this child was conceived in the hours after his arrival in the spirit dimension."

"But you were unconscious…or was that a lie? Were you fucking both of us? Father and son?"

"No, I swear it!" Byakuya insisted, "I never laid down with him…never. He said there were things he couldn't tell me, because he was worried that you would sense it if I tried to lie to you. This is what he kept from me…that when the beating you gave me caused me to lose our child, he replaced the heir with his own, while I was unconscious."

"But, Byakuya, even if this tale you are telling me is true, you still helped him come into the spirit dimension. You helped bring him here to kill me!"

"No…I never wanted you to die! But I knew my king would not hurt me the way you had…that he would not doubt my devotion to his orders. When I contacted Aizen Sousuke, I sought a way to bring him here, but I did not wish for him to kill you. I only wished for him to free you. You have my word!"

"Your word? And what good is that…coming from a lying, deceitful, manipulative whore like you?"

Byakuya searched the golden eyes for something to give him hope, but found only pent up rage. He bowed his head and dropped to his knees.

"Then…I have done my best to convince you. I am sorry that I was not able to bring you comfort…Comfort yourself then by taking my life. It belongs to you. Because yours was the mind that conceived of me…and your hands the ones that crafted me. It is your right to take back what is yours…and to destroy it. I will offer no resistance. Because if I have failed in the purpose you set for me…"

He paused, swallowing and forcing down the tears that threatened to fall.

"If I have failed in the purpose you set for me, then my life holds no meaning. Take it then, because I would yield it and release my final breath in a sigh of relief. And let me leave you with the wish that your next consort might be more worthy and might serve you well, as I did not."

A single tear overflowed onto each porcelain cheek. He said and moved no more, but knelt quietly with the tears running down his face, waiting for the king's answer.

"Oh my," said Gin's voice from the throne room door.

He clapped loudly three times.

"What a lovely performance! Oh, Byakuya, I was truly moved…"

He turned his eyes to the king.

"You aren't going to believe that load of nonsense, are you? Please tell me that you're not that gullible?"

His eyes glinted darkly at Byakuya.

"I would kill him and have done with it!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Yamamoto Soutaichou slipped quietly into the spirit dimension, his reiatsu obscured to match that of a common courier. He appeared in a place well off the trail and skirted the area where the guards stood ready. He made his way through the forest, heading for the palace. He felt the slight touch of a familiar reiatsu…enough so that it turned him towards the one who waited, but little enough that it would not be generally detectable by anyone not in the area. He followed it silently, watching the shadows carefully for signs of movement. As he came to a small clearing, he slowed and stopped, waiting.

"Shatter, Kyouka Suigetsu," said a soft voice.

The image of the empty clearing wavered and the captain commander found himself facing Hikifune Kirio, Shihoin Yoruichi, Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo and Aizen Sousuke. Aizen stepped forward, sliding his weapon back into its sheath.

"Soutaichou," he said, meeting the old shinigami's eyes, "I am glad you have come. I need to speak to you about what is happening."

Soutaichou nodded.

"I have spoken with Kuchiki Byakuya. He has assured me of your good intentions…however…we must move carefully. We will meet first within my zanpakutou's protected sphere. We will have privacy and be able to converse in safety. This is important if we are to gather our information and come up with a strategy."

"Where is Byakuya?" asked Aizen, "Is he safe"

Soutaichou nodded.

"He is in the sphere we will use for our conversation and planning. I placed him there after we spoke as I became very concerned for his emotional state. I am afraid that he has given up and become despondent. If left to his own devices, he could walk willingly to his death at the king's hands. So I made him sleep and left him in that protected place. You will see him when we arrive. Come."

The group moved closer and watched as the captain commander withdrew his weapon. He breathed a command and the rest watched as the fire flared around them and the forest faded away. They found themselves in a small room with an empty bed and Byakuya's reiatsu hanging lightly in the air.

"What the hell?" hissed Renji, "Where is he? Did someone…somehow get in here and take him? We have to go after him!"

"No!" said Soutaichou, making the redhead catch his breath and stare, "Don't you understand? Byakuya has already gone to the king…and has already reached him. We could not be there swiftly enough to stop the king from killing him. We must make our moves carefully and not allow ourselves to be drawn off guard by our emotions. In any case, I sense two things that are working in our favor right now. First, I sense the Byakuya is alive and has not been harmed. He is in the presence of the king. I also sense great uncertainty in the king. He is beginning to war within himself. Byakuya's return has caused the true spirit king beneath the hollow to stir."

"So what do you suggest?" asked Aizen, meeting his eyes with determination, "The balance in the king's mind is quite precarious, and has been all along. Right now, it may favor Byakuya, but it could turn at any time."

"This is true," said the captain commander, nodding, "And so we will move quickly. We need to have a way to restore or overcome the king."

"I have an idea," said Aizen, "of how we can save him."

The captain commander's eyes widened.

"So…" he said slowly, "It is true. You are of royal blood."

"Yes, Soutaichou," Aizen said, nodding, "Hikifune Kirio researched the odd dying out of the royal family and discovered I was the king's son, who was thought to be dead, but was actually hidden in a family of the Rukongai so the king could not drain me as he did his other relatives."

"And you say there is a way to restore him?"

"Yes," said Aizen, "That is what I said. You see, before I came to the spirit dimension, I was concerned because Byakuya told me that the residents here are brainwashed to do and say whatever the king wants them to. I traveled to the living world so that I could bring with us the one person who could restore those people…and who could heal us if we became injured. As it turns out, it also looks as though this person could be used to restore the king. I have hidden her in a reiatsu cage and will allow her to show herself only when we are ready to brace the king. That person is Inoue Orihime."

The captain commander frowned and thought for a moment.

"Being that this is our king, we have a duty to protect him to the best of our ability, and we must save him if we are able. I think your plan is acceptable. We will need to discuss the details of our plan, but we will be able to move quickly. If we are lucky, we will be able to free the king before he harms Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Then…" said Aizen, "We will need a way to sneak into the throne room and hide ourselves. And once we are secreted there, we will need something to lure the king into the room. Hikifune and Yoruichi will lock the exits. Ichigo and Renji will be prepared to battle Gin, as he is here and I was not able to eliminate him quickly enough.

My blade can be used to hold the king in place for the restoration, but I will need you and Kuchiki Ginrei to assist in raising my power. We must not allow him to escape once Orihime reveals herself or he will destroy her."

"Then, we are decided," said the captain commander, "We need only recover Kuchiki Ginrei, then move on to the throne room as soon as it is empty."

"Yoruichi stepped forward.

"Kirio and I will take Ichigo and Renji and we will watch for our chance to secure the throne room. We will wait for the two of you and Kuchiki Ginrei there."

"Very well," said Soutaichou, nodding, "Just remember…you must not be detected until we are in place…even if that means that harm will come to Byakuya. Do you understand?"

Yoruichi and Kirio nodded and flash stepped away with Ichigo and Renji. Yamamoto turned to Aizen and the two disappeared together.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Really Gin," said Yoshiaki, reaching out to brush the tears from Byakuya's face, "You need to learn to tell when you are being lied to and when someone is being sincere. You doubt my Byakuya's sincerity?"

"I think you know he has already betrayed you, more than once," Gin argued, "How then, are you to know that he does not do the same now?"

"Oh…I think that can be done," Yoshiaki continued, lifting the consort's chin and locking their eyes, "You see, I have a way of knowing if I wish to know. It is a way I would only resort to in a situation such as this where I must know who my friends are. Watch."

He stroked the transfixed noble's face with gentle fingers.

"Byakuya…you plead for me to believe that you did not betray me with Aizen Sousuke? That you did not wish for me to be killed? That although you assisted them in breaking into the spirit dimension, still, you are my devoted servant?"

He drew his zanpakutou.

"Stand," he said in a solemn, detached voice.

Byakuya slowly rose and stood facing him.

"Watch now, Gin…and see whether it is as you say and Byakuya is a cheating, lying whore…or if he is, in fact, still my loyal subject."

He stood, and his eyes fixed on Byakuya's. He lifted the blade and placed it against the noble's chest, over his heart. Across the room, Gin smiled slyly.

"If you are still true to me, then this blade will not hurt you, but if you are lying to me…you will be sent to the death you so penitently asked me to give you. I must ask you, Byakuya…shall I attack?"

Byakuya raised his chin and met the king's eyes warmly.

"I am not afraid, my lord. I am content to be tested as you wish," he said quietly.

Gin's smile faded slightly at the noble's words and his hand slipped to his zanpakutou.

Byakuya stood quietly, looking deeply into the eyes of the king. Yoshiaki's golden eyes froze him in place and seemed to bore down inside him. The eyes burned into him painfully, but the noble held perfectly still and his body betrayed no sign of pain. Yoshiaki's lips tensed slightly and Byakuya's eyes closed. He felt the power rise around them and the king's weapon thrust forward. Yoshiaki's reiatsu exploded around the two, bathing both in deep, golden light.

"Open your eyes, my Byakuya," the king said softly, "See how my zanpakutou has judged you."

Byakuya looked down at the blade where it impaled his chest. The weapon glowed softly and when the king withdrew his blade, the noble's chest was left undamaged. Byakuya met the king's eyes warily, but they shined affectionately.

"There, you see, Gin?" Yoshiaki said, reprovingly, "Byakuya was being truthful. There was never a reason to doubt him."

He curled his arms around his consort, smiling down at him.

"Yes, that is true," said Gin, his voice taking on an odd grating sound, "but in doing as you did, you used a great deal of power and left yourself vulnerable!"

There was a sharp, hissing sound as Gin released his zanpakutou. Byakuya tore free of the king and turned.

"Hado #33, Soukatsui!" he cried.

Blue fire erupted from his hands, forcing Gin's blade off course and knocking the silver-haired shingami from his feet. The power threw him into the wall, shattering it and sending debris flying in all directions. Yoshiaki's arms wrapped around Byakuya as the two watched Gin, who laid, unmoving, in the wreckage.

Byakuya caught his breath as Gin's body twitched and convulsed. Slowly, he came to his feet and his eyes opened and glared at them. His lips parted in a very unGinlike snarl and he disappeared in a flash step.

"Wh-what was that?" Byakuya whispered in shock, "There's…something…inside him!"

"Yes," said Yoshiaki, taking the noble in his arms, "but he will be wary of us now, my love. Come. Now that you have proven your commitment, come with me and allow me to show you my appreciation."

"But…Gin is…there is something inside…"

"Shhh," the king whispered, bringing their lips together to silence the noble, "The guards will protect us…and they will know to watch for him and to kill him on sight. I am pleased you have returned to me…and I want to be with you."

He lifted his still-uncertain consort into his arms and carried him out of the room.


	16. Atop the Tower

**Chapter 16: Atop the Tower**

Yoshiaki gently lowered Byakuya onto the bed and opened his yukata, baring his lovely, pale skin to the moonlight. He watched as the familiar expression of deep sadness came over the noble's handsome features. He leaned over the softly glowing white body and smiled warmly down at him.

"My Byakuya, why do you still look so troubled? I have accepted everything you told me. I have rescinded the order for your execution and I have even decided that I will not harm the illegitimate child you carry. This is, after all a royal heir, so the line of kings will not be broken. The bad times are over. It is time for us to be thankful that we have come through the worst of things, ne?"

"I am sorry, my lord," Byakuya replied softly, "I do not mean to trouble you with my melancholy. It is just…when I returned to my former home, it was painful to see that although I remembered that place and all I did there, it seems my own family had happily forgotten me. Even when I stood before them…they acted as though I was an embarrassment…"

"That must have been distressing for you. But you must put it out of your mind now. You have a place and important work here in the spirit dimension. Remember that you are the one who balances my power…and we have not been together for some time. I do not wish to add to your pain, but if I wait much longer, my reiatsu will grow unstable."

Byakuya lowered his eyes and nodded.

"Of course, my lord, proceed then."

"Byakuya," said Yoshiaki, stroking his hair lightly, "I know I have been cruel to you, but I would not be so cruel as to drain you while you lie there suffering from your injuries. I will heal you first."

The king's warm hands roamed slowly over him, quietly healing his remaining injuries and leaving his body free of pain. He nuzzled a pale cheek, kissing it gently, then the full, sensuous lips. He kept the pressure of every touch feather-light.

"You think that I conceived of you as a mere plaything, and I understand how I gave you that perception. I was not able to love, but I have truly fallen in love with you. You have taught me this. This too, is one of your gifts. You have so many that you overlook, my Byakuya. I'm sorry that I ever doubted you."

"You had reason, my lord. I did betray you."

"But you only did so out of concern for your king. You showed me love, even when I could not return it…even when I could do nothing but hurt you for it. And once I have sated my need for your reiatsu, I will show you my gratitude."

Byakuya closed his eyes against the familiar pain of being drained, letting his mind drift to thoughts of the others…the ones who had come for him…to the captain commander and his promise of help…to Ginrei…anything to take him away as his reiatsu was depleted. And even though he tried not to look, he couldn't help but see the contentment in the chillingly beautiful golden eyes. And all at once, he knew he couldn't cope anymore. The king was too powerful…and he was convinced that he had not been corrupted. He would not see the truth and he would hurt the ones who had come to set Byakuya free. And after having returned to his home to see how easily he had been replaced and forgotten…being free seemed useless as well.

He looked up into the king's eyes as the draining ended and felt as though the very blood was gone from his veins. He was so achingly tired, he barely felt the hands that gently explored his body, the lips that found his…and he barely heard the words the king whispered.

"The draining is over for now."

It didn't matter, because the bleeding out of all sensation and emotion continued. But he forced a smile and met the golden eyes calmly as the king's fingertips traced his lips and followed the curve of his chin, before resting beneath it.

"Byakuya," he whispered, "My beautiful consort…aishiteru yo."

He opened his mouth to answer, but the words wouldn't come. He stared into the king's expectant gaze and struggled to force the words out. His body shook softly with effort and he felt tears of frustration rising in his eyes. Yoshiaki smiled and kissed him.

"Don't force the words, my love. Words like this will come when you feel ready to say them and not before. In any case, your sacrifice…and your obedience mean more to me than any profession of love. Now…let me reward you."

The king's body settled onto his and the powerful hips moved, sliding a fiercely hot and leaking member against his. Yoshiaki's mouth fastened on his and a hungry tongue thrust into his mouth, pleasuring every inch with light, insistent touches. As much as his heart still ached for what he had lost, it began to calm as the king lifted himself and brought his lips to the noble's long, white throat and alternated, soft brushings of those lips with long wet strokes of his tongue and heavy delicious suction. He couldn't contain a soft moan as the king traveled down his chest, tracing the curves with his tongue, tasting a lovely pink nipple, then descending down the slender torso in a line of hotter, more desirous kisses.

Byakuya caught his breath sharply and his back arched as Yoshiaki's tongue sank into his navel and the hot mouth latched on and sucked so deeply that he felt the shock of it all of the way to his toes. The king placed a line of kisses from the plundered navel downward, then lifted himself and moved down between the noble's parted thighs. Byakuya moaned more loudly as the king's mouth wrapped around him and gently pleasured him. He moved down lower and began a slow preparation.

He plunged into Byakuya's open mouth, forcing it wide, sharing their mingled tastes and moaning his name. He shifted his body, bringing his throbbing arousal to the noble's damp entrance and pushing inside with short, gentle thrusts. His head fell forward and long brown strands of hair tickled Byakuya's throat and shoulder. The noble groaned with pleasure and pushed his hips upward, meeting each of the king's heavy thrusts. Yoshiaki's hand found his length and stroked it in time with their movements, and despite having so recently climaxed, Byakuya felt himself hardening again.

The king smiled down at him as he thrust in harder and faster, his breath shortening and his eyes darkening as he neared completion. He shifted slightly and found the center of pleasure inside the noble, making him gasp and tighten his hands on the king's arms. Yoshiaki's eyes closed and with a deep groan of bliss, he released inside Byakuya, filling the noble's body with seething heat and sending him tumbling into pleasure, his voice sounding in soft, beautiful cries that Yoshiaki calmly devoured as he took the noble's lips again with his own.

"I love to see you this way, my Byakuya," he whispered, "your pain forgotten and your eyes and heart focused solely on me. It is selfish, I know…but I cannot help it."

Byakuya said nothing, but let his mind disappear into the king's kisses until his exhaustion overwhelmed him and he drifted of to sleep in Yoshiaki's arms. The king smiled and turned onto his back, pulling Byakuya close and burying his face in the sakura scented hair. He closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

Byakuya woke some time later and carefully extracted himself from the king's arms. He sat quietly at Yoshiaki's side, gazing down at him and warring with himself. He knew now that despite his best efforts, he could not truly love the king. He could be obedient and could find some pleasure in their lovemaking, but his heart was always going to belong to Sousuke. He came to the sudden realization that he had loved Sousuke for a very long time, but had lied to himself, because there had always been something standing in their way. First, it was the rules of the Gotei 13 that prohibited love relationships between taichous…then it was the betrayal that had torn at his heart and made him wonder at how he could ever have loved such a man as would turn on his own like that. And finally now, it was the king's order, the order that had brought him unwillingly to the spirit dimension, had taken everything from him and caused him pain unlike any he had ever felt. And he already knew what would happen next. Because despite Yoshiaki's decision to allow him to have Sousuke's child, he knew that there would be jealousy, whether it was acknowledged or not. And being corrupted and made a hollow god, Yoshiaki would eventually give in to the jealousy and kill Sousuke…and perhaps Byakuya too. And there was no place in the three worlds he could go to escape it.

That left him with only one answer.

He slipped out of bed and moved out onto the balcony. He looked out over the lush, beautiful gardens one last time, then flash stepped onto the railing and began to climb. He ran along the palace roof on silent, desperate feet, knowing that if the king woke and stopped him, he would be kept from attempting it again. He had to be fast. He had to be sure…

He sensed a familiar reiatsu, but angled away from it, seeking only the height of the tallest of the palace towers. He flash stepped up to the very top and stopped for a moment. There was little time now. He sensed the king stirring, reaching for him, whispering his name, lovingly. Tears coursed down his face as he focused deeply and forced out every ounce of his remaining power…so he wouldn't be able to change his mind. He was resolved. He wouldn't be the thing to tear Yoshiaki and Sousuke apart. Father and son needed each other if the king was to be saved…and all that Byakuya was now…was the wedge between them, the thing that would make them try to kill each other. His power flared and shook the palace as it left him.

He felt the king's presence rising up, seeking him and knew he was out of time. He stood for a moment, remembering for just that moment, the things that had made his life beautiful…loving Hisana, protecting Rukia, his deep friendship with Renji and, despite everything, his love for Sousuke. He comforted himself with the knowledge that it was to protect those things that he would yield his life now. He could let go, knowing that there would be nothing left to cause dissent between Yoshiaki and Sousuke, that Renji and Ichigo would care for Rukia…and that other, stronger relatives would lead the house Kuchiki as he had. Now emptied of power and filled with resolve, he ignored the sound of Yoshiaki screaming his name and let himself fall.

The wind whistled past him and he caught a glimpse of stricken, golden eyes staring down at him. He closed his eyes and tried to force away the fear as his body fell soundlessly from the tower. He was doing the only thing he could…

A flash step sound somewhere nearby and strong arms captured him and pulled him close. Power flared around them, breaking their fall and a moment later, his rescuer landed lightly on the palace lawn. Byakuya was too afraid to open his eyes, too afraid it was the king…and that he would be furious. But the hand that touched his face and brushed away a tear was not the king's. This touch was infinitely more familiar…and achingly more welcome. He opened his eyes.

"Sousuke…" he whispered soundlessly, staring into the other's gentle, brown eyes.

A chill went through Byakuya as the king landed on the lawn, facing them. Aizen ignored the king for a moment and looked down at Byakuya.

"I know why you did this…but I can't let you destroy yourself. Trust me. You asked me to free you and I promised I would. Now sleep."

Another gentle touch sent his mind into oblivion. Exhausted and empty, he fell into it willingly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yoshiaki stood quietly on the palace lawn, his eyes meeting his son's for the first time since he had been an infant. He studied the image of himself built into the body of the shinigami who stood, holding an unconscious Byakuya in his arms, and felt a myriad of emotions pass through him. He was angry, of course. This man had come to take Byakuya from him…perhaps to kill him. But strangely, there was no anger or hatred in the brown eyes that looked back at him…only calm wariness.

"Aizen Sousuke," Yoshiaki said in a low, warning voice, "I have been told that you are my son…that before her death, my queen hid you from me and pretended that you had died. And now…standing in your presence, I know beyond doubt that this is true."

His eye fell to Byakuya.

"But before we speak anymore of that, I would appreciate it if we could return my consort to our bed. He is obviously distraught and in need of rest."

Aizen nodded and followed the king back into the palace, still carrying Byakuya. They said no more as they returned to the king's room, where Yoshiaki took Byakuya from him and deposited him in bed, then bent to kiss his forehead lightly.

"I am grateful," he said softly to Aizen, "that you stopped him. I knew he was overwhelmed by his circumstances, but I had thought that if I loved him enough…that he would come to his senses. I imagine he will need more than that now."

He set a kido barrier around the sleeping noble to keep him from leaving and led Aizen out of the room. They walked silently through the hallways and into the throne room. Yoshiaki took his place on the throne and Aizen stood facing him.

"Now then," said the king, looking into his son's eyes, "Do you have something you wish to say to me…son?"

Aizen looked up at him calmly.

"I would like to say…that it is good to know the truth. I am glad that Kirio was able to uncover the truth and to send word to me. It is obvious that I am needed here."

Yoshiaki's eyes darkened and the room rumbled softly.

"If you are here to repeat to me that woman's ridiculous story that there is something wrong with me…"

"I came for Byakuya."

"My consort? You wish to question my royal privilege? You know the law permits me to choose whoever I want. He is the most beautiful shinigami alive…and as king, I wish to surround myself with beautiful things. Is that wrong?"

"It is not wrong to want to be surrounded by beauty," Aizen agreed, "but there is something more insidious you are overlooking in your choice to bring Byakuya here. You are killing him. You would have drained him to the point of fading. You nearly killed him and you did kill your own child that you fathered with him. And even now that you know how much he is hurting…falling apart inside, still, you put your desire for pleasure above what he needs if he is going to survive. You are the undisputed king and have every right, of course, but I refuse to believe that the one who gave me life is truly so cold. I have _lived_ among the hollows. I know them, inside and out…and I know that when I look at you, I see a hollow. Now…I have brought someone who can restore you, but I need to know that when I bring this person into the room, you will not try to harm her."

The king stood and drew his sword.

"I will kill anyone who comes into my throne room and tries to take any action against me."

"I assure you, we only wish to help."

"Then help by leaving, before I decide to kill you. You are taking rather large chances for someone who broke into my palace and impregnated my consort!"

"I was only protecting him from you. You would have finished him off then if you knew he had lost your child," Aizen objected.

"Yes…you were protecting him…always. You are willing to kill me to protect him. You came here wanting to kill me, didn't you, Aizen Sousuke? Didn't you?"

"I came here to help Byakuya, but yes, if I find that I cannot restore you, I must kill you and assume the throne. There is no choice."

"I see," said the king, flash stepping forward and bringing his weapon slashing down.

He froze as his blade met another and looked down at the slender blade, then at the pale, shaking hands that wielded it.

"Byakuya?" he said frowning, "I left you in a kido field. How did you escape it?"

"I let him go," said Torio from the doorway, "As his servant, it is my job to do as he wishes."

"I thought I _killed_ you, you little roach!" the king seethed, "You are all going to die for this betrayal…_all of you_!"


	17. Image of Perfection

**Chapter 17: Image of Perfection**

_Yoshiaki froze as his blade met another and looked down at the slender blade, then at the pale, shaking hands that wielded it._

"_Byakuya?" he said frowning, "I left you in a kido field. How did you escape it?"_

"_I let him go," said Torio from the doorway, "As his servant, it is my job to do as he wishes."_

"I thought I killed you, you little roach!" the king seethed, "You are all going to die for this betrayal…all of you!"

Flash steps sounded all around the room as the king held his weapon heavily against Senbonzakura and sent a blast of kido that broke against Byakuya and Sousuke's shielding, but caught and threw Torio back and into the wall. The wall shattered and the youth dropped to the floor, where he managed to gather himself enough to take cover in the rubble. Yoruichi, Kirio, Ichigo, and Renji, set themselves at the room's four corners and began to raise an enclosure around the edges of the room. Yoshiaki made a sound of surprise as Yamamoto Soutaichou and Kuchiki Ginrei appeared as well and closed in on him, their reiatsu rising and swords held ready. Both elders and Byakuya fired kido spells that sent golden binding ropes to wrap around the king's wrists and ankles as Aizen raised his weapon and released his shikai.

Yoshiaki laughed.

"Fool! You think you can use this against me? I _gave_ you your powers! I can certainly counteract them."

He burst free of the binding ropes and shot forward, grazing Byakuya and forcing Yamamoto and Ginrei aside, then moving past them to strike at his son. He felt an odd sensation and realized that something was off with the picture he was seeing. Sensing that his son was not where he appeared to be, he turned back on the shinigamis who had tried to bind him and attacked them instead. Ginrei and Yamamoto flash stepped clear, but Byakuya lifted his blade in defense and fired another Kido spell, giving Sousuke a chance to flash step in closer and to employ a stronger kido spell. Ginrei and Yamamoto returned and joined them, and the four worked together to force the king down onto his back on the floor of the throne room.

"You three must hold him down," Sousuke warned them, "I will open the reiatsu cage and Orihime can begin her part."

"You are all going to die!" snarled Yoshiaki, his golden eyes flaring.

"Watch out!" Ginrei warned the others, grabbing Byakuya and pulling him away.

Yamamoto too, managed to flash step clear, but the king tackled Sousuke and held him down, wrapping his hands around the shinigami's throat. He made a sound of dismay and anger a moment later as he realized that, once again, his senses had been fooled and Aizen flash stepped clear.

Kido exploded from the king's extended hands as he rolled to his feet again. Ginrei raised a shield around himself and Byakuya as Torio joined them and tried to restore more of Byakuya's reiatsu.

"You shouldn't have started fighting while I was still restoring your powers," the youth said, working quickly, "but I'll have them back at normal levels soon.

Yamamoto moved in behind the king and raised Ryujin Jakka, calling fire to encircle the king. The king disappeared into the flames for a moment.

"Quickly now!" Yamamoto cried, "When the flames die, we must all use our kido to bind him. We must hold him down and Ginrei and I will suppress his reiatsu."

Yamamoto, Ginrei, Sousuke, Byakuya and Torio all closed in and prepared their spells.

"Now!" yelled Yamamoto.

The flames died and five crawling ropes encircled the king's arms, legs and torso. The monarch screamed in fury as Yamamoto and Ginrei moved in and forced him down onto his back again, then together cloaked him in a reiatsu suppressing field. Sousuke opened the reiatsu cage and Orihime appeared. She took up a position at the straining king's side and raised her healing shield over him.

In the four corners of the room, the incantation for the safety enclosure was completed and Yoruichi, Kirio, Ichigo and Renji joined the others in the room. They gathered around the still furious king, watching as Orihime's power slowly began to restore him.

"This is going to take a while," said Sousuke, turning to Byakuya, "Come, let's find a safer place for you. You shouldn't be fighting."

"It was necessary," Byakuya said quietly, accepting Sousuke's hand.

They moved to the far corner of the throne room, behind the pile of rubble made by the king's attack on Torio. Sousuke sat down next to the noble and quickly checked the state of his reiatsu and the condition of their child.

"He seems to be perfectly fine," said Sousuke, his hand lingering on Byakuya's abdomen.

Byakuya gazed at him quietly for a moment.

"Sousuke," he said finally, "I want to thank you…for stopping me before. I only acted as I did because I did not want to be the one to cause Yoshiaki to attack you. It was…desperate and short-sighted. I don't know what will happen when the king is restored…whether he will still require me to remain here as his consort…or…"  
"I will ask him to release you."

Byakuya shook his head.

"And where would I go? My own elders have washed their hands of me. And although your name will be cleared and you can return to the Seireitei…I have no place there anymore…"

Sousuke shook his head and took the noble's hands in his.

"Don't be so sure that things are so bad. Your clan will act differently when Yoshiaki is cured and he informs everyone about what happened. Your clan will be quick enough to want you back given your role in the king's recovery."

Byakuya considered his words for a moment.

"Perhaps," he said, looking back at the king, "but much remains to be seen."

"In any case," Sousuke went on, "Whether we return to the Seireitei or not, you and I have much to resolve. We have a child on the way…and much to talk about."

Byakuya nodded.

"But all of that must wait," Byakuya said softly, "Yoshiaki holds my fate in his hands…and we must first see in which direction my fate turns."

Sousuke placed a hand on his face and moved forward slowly, placing a light kiss on his lips.

"Whatever your concerns, Byakuya, you will determine your own fate…soon."

Byakuya didn't answer, but only looked back at the king with distant eyes and an aching heart.

Across the room, Orihime looked up at the group that surrounded the bound king beneath the golden oval healing field.

"This is going to take a while," she told them, "He was like this for such a long time, there is much to reject."

"Well," said Yamamoto Soutaichou, "We have great confidence in your gift. We are lucky to have this working in our favor."

"And I am grateful to you for assisting me in regaining my freedom," added Ginrei.

He glanced across the room to where Byakuya sat next to Aizen Sousuke.

"I only hope that once he is restored that there will be a way to restore my grandson. Byakuya has endured great difficulty here."

"Have confidence, my friend," Yamamoto assured him, "Your grandson is a man of great strength. We all have our strength sorely tested sometimes…and I truly believe that he will come through this."

Ginrei nodded, still gazing at Byakuya's troubled expression.

"I am sure you are right."

Renji waited until Aizen returned to the king's side to approach Byakuya and sit down next to him.

"We haven't had much time to talk since I came to the spirit dimension," the redhead said quietly, "Just so you know, you have a lot of friends in the Seireitei who want you to come home…Rukia…Ukitake, Kyoraku…all the taichous, really…and me."

"But you don't understand…" Byakuya said in a low voice, "I don't have a home there anymore, Renji. I gave up everything when I was called here."

Renji placed a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes warmly.

"Taichou…you always have a home with Rukia and a friend in me…whether you live in Kuchiki Manor or not."

Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise, then softened with genuine gratitude.

"Renji…"

"Hai."

"I am no longer your taichou…nor even a taichou. Just call me Byakuya…from now on."

Renji smiled.

All right, then, Byakuya," he said, nodding.

Byakuya's eyes followed him as he rose and returned to the others. Torio smiled at him.

"Abarai-san is a good friend, isn't he?"

"Yes," Byakuya said, a very faint smile touching his lips, "He is a very good friend."

The two sat in silence, then as Orihime continue the king's healing.

Orihime gazed down at the hateful eyes of the king and began to feel as though something was wrong. Although she was able to heal the king, the task was moving slowly…and now she sensed that he was doing something. His power was swelling beneath the healing shield. She wanted to speak, but his eyes locked on hers and she could hear his voice in her frozen mind.

"Poor, misled creatures…You are all going to die now…"

_I must tell them…_

"You cannot speak to warn them."

_I…have to…move!_

"You are mine to command…"

_Move!_'

"I say when you live…"

_Have…to…move!_

"I say when you die…"

_Oh no!_

"Inoue Orihime…"

At the last moment, Orihime managed to tear herself away. She screamed and came to her feet as the king's power erupted, shattering the healing field and exploding outward. Two sets of feminine hands grabbed her and brought her down, covering her body as the king's power blasted over them. The two elder shinigami's who had been holding back his power were thrown back over the toppling thrones and out into the king's garden as the containment shield shattered. Ichigo and Renji were taken off their feet and thrown through the air in different directions. Screams filled the air as dust and smoke billowed up everywhere. Byakuya turned to bring down Torio and felt the heat and power sweep over the servant and himself.

"Where are you?" the king's voice boomed, "Where are you, Aizen Sousuke, so that I might kill you!"

Byakuya leaned over an unconscious Torio, checking to be sure he would be all right, then leaving him protected behind a mass of rubble and honing in on Sousuke's reiatsu. He could hear the sounds of the king throwing off debris and beginning to search, as he crawled towards the former taichou. Moments later, he knelt at the unconscious Aizen's side, masking his reiatsu and covering the other shinigami's body with his own. He heard Ichigo and Renji call to each other and felt bolts of heat and power nearby as the king struck blindly at them as he continued to seek the location of his son. The noble held his breath as the king drew nearer, his eyes widening and his body shifting to hide Sosuuke's as the monarch appeared in front of him. The king's eyes glared down at him and power flared around his hands.

"My royal plaything…" the king sneered, "Are you still alive? I thought the initial blast would kill you and that illegitimate brat you carry, but it seems that I must take matters into my own hands…"

"My lord…" said Byakuya, "Think with your heart now. The healing isn't finished, but you feel it, don't you?"

The king dropped to his knees in front of Byakuya taking the noble's lovely, ash smudged face in his hands and kissing him gently.

"I will tell you what I feel, my misguided paramour…I feel…"

His hand wrapped around Byakuya's throat.

"…that you…"

The finger's tightened.

"…have made a fool of me for the last time!"

His eyes held the struggling noble's as dizziness swept over him and his dark gray eyes glazed over.

"I am…" he whispered, "…your servant…even now…my…"

The noble's body went limp and the king stared down at him as if only then realizing what he had done.

"M-my…Byakuya…" he murmured, staring, "B-byakuya?"

He shook the lifeless body in his arms.

"Wh-what? What's…happening?"

Several feet away, Sousuke put a hand over Byakuya's mouth and motioned for him to be silent. It would only be a moment before the king would realize he held an illusion.

"Arigato Sousuke," whispered Byakuya, "He would have killed us both, had you not acted."

Aizen smiled.

"Thank you for finding and waking me, Byakuya. Now please, stay down. I don't want you or our baby hurt."

Byakuya nodded and remained behind the pile of rubble. Sousuke slipped out from behind it, using Kyoka Suigetsu to hide him as he slowly approached the king. He stopped in front of the monarch, gazing down at where he held the illusion of Byakuya and tears rolled down his face.

"Father…" he said softly, "You're starting to come back…but you need to let Orihime heal you."

"I…I've taken the life of my most precious servant," Yoshiaki said, looking up at him, "He tried so hard to tell me…b-but I couldn't stop it…Nothing has been right…ever since that day."

Sousuke knelt in front of him and made the illusion he held slowly disappear. Yoshiaki stared.

"Don't worry," he assured the confused king, "Byakuya is safe. I protected him from your hollow form…but as you sensed, the darkness still has hold of you. Let us help you. I will call Orihime back and she will finish rejecting the hollow."

The king shook his head.

"The part of me still hollow is too strong. It will overwhelm me again…"

"I will stay beside you and use my reiatsu to hold you down. Being your son, my reiatsu is strong enough."

The king hesitated, then nodded briefly, lying back and closing his eyes. Aizen leaned over him and used his reiatsu to hold the king in place. Kirio and Yoruichi brought Orihime to the king's side again. Yoshiaki gazed up at his son as the healing field settled over him again.

"You say that Byakuya is safe?" he asked.

Sousuke nodded.

"That is good. He has been badly hurt by all of this. It will be a long time before that hurt is healed."

Sousuke smiled sadly.

"I am certain that once you are restored you will be able to comfort him."

"Yes…" said the king, his eyes troubled, "I will make things right again. If not for being made hollow…"

"Father," said Aizen, "Do you know how this happened?"

The king nodded.

"I remember now. I was walking in the gardens and noticed a place in the dimension wall that had been breached, so I closed it and repaired the damage. But as I finished, I was confronted by an odd hollow. As I killed him, his essence left his hollow form and entered my body. At first, I did not realize…but as it died, it infected me, and I began to change. I did not know until Orihime's power began to heal me…"

He shook his head.

"Kirio and Byakuya…I hated them so much for continuing to tell me that something was wrong…but…I see it now. I see it all now!"

"Be calm now. Orihime's power is working. You will be all right."

Slowly, the others extracted themselves from the rubble and moved closer to the healing king. His eyes had closed and he slept peacefully now, beneath the healing energy.

"He's going to be all right now," Orihime said softly, "I feel the hollow is much weaker. It won't be much longer."

The others relaxed and settled down to watch. Torio joined them and sat, looking around, trying to figure out what was wrong, when suddenly it dawned on him…

"Where is my master?" he said, looking around frantically.

"It's all right," Aizen assured him, "I left him concealed over there."

Sousuke rose and returned to the place Byakuya had been. A chill passed through him as he caught sight of an unsheathed Senbonzakura lying on the ground…and splashes of blood that led out into the King's Garden.

"Gin!" he whispered, turning and flash stepping after them.


	18. Frozen Moment

**Chapter 18: Frozen Moment**

Byakuya rested quietly where Sousuke had left him, Senbonzakura ready at his side and his eyes on the king. He was relieved that Yoshiaki was being restored…but a part of him mourned that the consciousness that had created him was fading. Because that meant that the one who had carved out his purpose in life was disappearing and his disappearance would make Byakuya's own life useless.

He tried to imagine what the restored king would do with him. He already had a consort. Kirio was fully restored and with the king's healing, Yoshiaki would be whole again as well. But what would he do with the wreck that was Kuchiki Byakuya? His own family had abandoned him to his fate. And while it was true, as Renji had said, that some others did wish for his return, there was little point in making that return when he had been left with nothing…not even a purpose for living. He wouldn't take his own life…no, that had been wrong. Because as long as he drew breath, there was hope that he could find another purpose in living. And with the hollow king restored, he might be freed to have a say in his own future again. It didn't matter to him at all that he would have to start over. Because in truth, he had never had control of his own life before. Always before, the hollow king watched him and waited. Now, that being was disappearing, and his choices from now on would truly be his own.

If Yoshiaki did not require him to stay…

Yes, there was the chance that Kirio, not being in love with, or loved by the king would be the one freed…and Byakuya would continue his subservience. And if that happened, then he would be the one left hollow inside. But that made sense…having been made by a hollow, himself.

He settled against the broken throne room wall, waiting to learn his fate. And as he closed his eyes for a moment to rest them, his fate began to turn unexpectedly. He felt cold metal against his throat and a touch on his wrists that swiftly sealed his spirit energy away. He tried to lift Senbonzakura and caught his breath sharply as Shinzou sliced down, slashing his sword arm and severing the nerves that allowed him to move it. He was pulled close, and a chill went through him as Gin's voice sounded in his ear.

"Come with me quietly or I'll kill you right here. You are going to help me get what I want."

There was no question in the noble's mind now that Gin had been affected by a hollow. Even if not for the odd yellow gleaming eyes and unnatural strength, Byakuya felt the cold reiatsu plainly. He wondered how much of the time the hollow had been inside him, guiding his motions and imagined it must have happened when he joined the king in watching the movements of Aizen Sousuke. So it had, perhaps been a very long time, indeed. And the hollow had been insidious…remaining submerged as Gin came into captaincy and moved into position to attempt to gain the throne. And Byakuya knew better than to hope that he would simply threaten harm. He wanted the throne…and that meant killing the king, Sousuke, and the royal heir he was carrying.

But he wouldn't kill them until he had lured the king and prince to him…

"You want to hold very still and don't try anything, Kuchiki Byakuya," Gin warned him, "I am going to have the throne and you will be the one who wins it for me. You fuss and whine about not having a purpose beyond warming his bed and bearing his brats…well, I can't give you a purpose in life, but I can make your death golden…"

"Gin…" Byakuya said as the silver-haired shinigami pulled him close and dragged him away from the throne room, "What are you going to do?"

"Why? Are you afraid?"

"I do not fear death," Byakuya breathed.

"Yes…" said Gin, "I saw you try to jump from the tower…and Sousuke saved you from yourself."

He shortened his blade to the size of a long dagger and set it against the noble's throat.

"Do you think he will save you now?" his captor asked.

"It doesn't matter," Byakuya replied coldly, "You will kill me regardless. You must kill Yoshiaki…Sousuke…and this child…to steal the throne. That leaves me with nothing to lose!"

As he had spoken, his uninjured hand had crawled up the front of his body and wrapped itself around the blade at his throat. He held on as hard as he could, ignoring the damage the weapon did to his hand, turned and drove his knee into Gin's midsection. He released Shinzou and ran away from the palace, sensing Gin's flash step and rolling to the side as the shinigami roared in anger and tackled him. They fell together, and as they did, Byakuya noticed that they were close to a ledge. The drop off was large enough to be deadly, if only…

Gin's hands took hold of him and the silver-haired shinigami started to lift his weapon. Byakuya took advantage of the moment to turn suddenly and threw Gin towards the edge of the cliff. Gin's eyes flared and his hands gripped Byakuya as his momentum carried them both towards the ledge.

"You're too much trouble!" Gin hissed, holding him down, "but I know a way to get past that!"

The frightening golden eyes flashed again and glared down into Byakuya's as one hand freed itself and plunged into the noble's midsection. Byakuya screamed in pain and the hollow inside Gin cackled with laughter as it emerged from Gin and moved towards Byakuya's impaled body. Reiatsu exploded around them, throwing Gin's unconscious body over the ledge and making the ground shake ominously. Byakuya felt the hollow beginning to sink into his body and closed his eyes for a moment in despair. He thought of the others back at the palace, the ones who had worked so hard to free him, and he thanked each of them silently in his mind. He screamed in pain again as the hollow tried to force itself into him, then taking a shivering breath, he threw his weight against the hollow and carried the two of them over the edge…

XXXXXXXXXX

Sousuke heard other feet pounding on the trail behind him and flash steps sounding as he was joined by Torio, Renji, Ichigo, Ginrei and Soutaichou, following the trail of the possessed Gin's reiatsu. He flash stepped faster as voices rose up ahead of him, then slid to a stop with his heart in his throat as he spotted Byakuya at the edge of a large drop off.

"Byakuya!" he cried, flash stepping madly.

The noble remained frozen against the backdrop of blue sky, his eyes wide and unseeing and blood running down his body. He gave a hard scream of pain and toppled over the edge. Sousuke reached the edge as he fell and shot downward, reaching for him. Byakuya's body struck a ledge, slowing his fall, and Sousuke's hands took hold of him and pulled him close, keeping him from falling any farther. He shivered at how limp Byakuya felt in his arms as he flash stepped back to the top of the ledge. At the top, he set Byakuya down gently and leaned over him.

"I saw Gin lying at the bottom of the cliff," Sousuke said quickly.

"I'll go and see if he's alive," offered Ichigo.

He flash stepped away as the others reached Sousuke and Byakuya and slid to a stop. Healing power flared around the brown-haired shinigami's hands and flowed into the noble's injured form. A moment later, Ichigo reappeared carrying Gin. He set the unconscious shinigami down and knelt next to him. Renji joined Ichigo next to Gin, leaning forward to seal away the unconscious man's power and to bind him with kido.

"He's still alive," Ichigo reported, "but he's in bad shape."

"The hollow is no longer with him," said Ginrei with certainty.

"Do you think it was destroyed when Gin fell?" asked Renji.

"I think that would be too simple a death for such a creature," said Yamamoto, looking down at Gin, "It has hidden itself somewhere…but we should not let our guard down."

"Is everyone all right?" asked a deep, commanding voice.

The group turned to see Yoshiaki, pale and looking tired, but on his feet and accompanied by Yoruichi and Kirio. Torio followed a few steps behind.

"We are all right," Renji answered, "but Gin fell from the cliff. He's seriously injured."

"Byakuya fell too," Sousuke added, "He struck a ledge on the way down. He's alive…and so is the baby, but…"

Orihime ran forward and dropped down at Byakuya's side. Without a word, she raised her healing field over him and focused deeply.

"I don't know how she can do that after using all of that energy healing his majesty," said Kirio, "Her power is amazing…"

"Yes…" said Yoshiaki, his eyes on the unconscious noble beneath the healing field, "it is."

Yoshiaki moved forward and knelt next to Sousuke, following his son's eyes down to Byakuya's troubled face. The brown-haired shinigami turned his head to observe the king for a moment. The two were silent for several minutes as Orihime continued the healing. Finally, Yoshiaki closed his eyes and forced the words out.

"Thank you, my son, for helping to free me. I spent too long under the power of that hollow. It did a great deal of damage…to me…to our family…and to so many others…"

Sousuke shook his head in frustration.

"And the way it targeted Byakuya…it was awful for him."

Yoshiaki considered his words carefully.

"I will free him to be with you," he said softly, "It is where he belongs. It was not right for me to force him to be with me as I did."

Sousuke looked up at the king with weary eyes.

"Don't you understand? Byakuya is not in a state to be bound to anyone right now. He has been through too much. It will only make things worse if we start trying to decide who has a right to him. He needs to come to resolution in his own mind, to decide what he wants, without our interference."

The king shook his head sadly.

"I…or rather, the hollow that enslaved me, took everything away from him…his power, his family and friends…and his pride. Everything I gave him, every gift…was taken away by that thing. And it used me to do that…"

Sousuke fastened his eyes on the unconscious noble.

"Are you in love with him?" he asked his father.

Yoshiaki sighed.

"I am certainly not immune to his beauty…but…even though the hollow overlooked the fact…I know and accept that Byakuya is not in love with me. And knowing that, I do not feel right in forcing him to remain in my service. In any case, Kirio has been healed and is still married to me…that is…if…"

Kirio's eyes rose and met the king's warmly.

"My lord," she said, her lips nearly smiling, "I did not dislike being your queen. I was unhappy because I knew things were not right with you…and no one would listen to me. Now that you are healed and no longer draining everyone around you, I admit that I am quite content to remain your queen…if you desire that."

Yoshiaki smiled at her and nodded. They broke off their conversation as Orihime looked up at them.

"Kuchiki-sama is stabilized now. He can be moved into the palace."

"Gin is stable now, too," said Ichigo, "Where should we take him? To the prison?"

"No," said Yoshiaki quietly, "The hollow has left his body. I do not wish for him to be mistreated. Take him to the infirmary."

"And Byakuya?" asked Ginrei.

Yoshiaki looked down at the unconscious noble and touched a pale hand.

"Take him to his room…and I would like for Orihime, Torio and my personal physician to attend him."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya moaned softly and his eyes drifted open. Looking around as his vision cleared, he found himself in the room he had been given upon his arrival at the palace. Orihime, Torio and the king's physician looked down at him and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" asked the healer.

"I…I feel…better," he managed.

"You're still a bit groggy, but you will be fine."

"And…my baby?" Byakuya asked, tension in his voice.

"Your baby is fine," the healer assured him, "Rest quietly, now. The king and his son have asked to see you when you woke."

The healer motioned to Orihime and Torio, and rose.

"Wait…" Byakuya said quietly, "Orihime…Torio…all three of you. Arigato. I am grateful to you for healing me."

The three nodded, bowed briefly and left the room. A moment later, the door opened and the Yoshiaki and Sousuke entered the room and sat down next to the bed.

"You look much improved," said the king, smiling down at him.

Byakuya's eyes remained lowered.

"I feel better," he said softly.

"Byakuya," said the king, watching as the noble's eyes lifted to meet his, "We need to discuss your future."

The dark gray eyes looked back at him warily.

"You know that I am your servant," said the noble, his voice shaking slightly, "you only need tell me what you wish me to do. If you wish for me to remain here and become your consort, then that is what I will do."

The king slipped a hand under the noble's chin and studied the beautiful, porcelain features.

"I have a queen," he said quietly, "I do not require your service as a consort. That is not to say that I do not find you desirable. You are everything I meant you to be."

"B-but…it was the hollow who…"

"Byakuya," said the king, smiling, "The hollow did not conceive of you first…I did. I planned that you would be a beautiful and powerful shinigami, that you would lead the Kuchiki clan…and that someday…when the time was right, you would come to the spirit dimension to serve me…but in the royal guard…or the Hogosha, my strongest protectors. You were not meant to languish and be used up, your strength drained away and your beauty marred by the strain. Your future is as you choose it now. You are free."

He released Byakuya's face and sat back, watching as relief flooded the noble's proud face. There was still sadness, but it seemed to have lessened notably.

"I will be sending Ginrei back with you and the ones who came to assist us…and my son's name will be cleared, so that if he chooses, he may travel to the Seireitei at will to see you."

"If that is what you wish," Sousuke added softly, "I don't want you to feel pressure to act in any way…not unless it is in a way of your own choosing."

"Then…you no longer desire me?" Byakuya asked, blinking.

Sousuke smiled charmingly.

"How could you think such a thing?" he chided the noble gently, "I have waited years for you to return my affections, Byakuya. But…if you are to do that, I want it to be because you love me in return. I don't want you to feel pressured to accept me because we are having a child. What happens between us is something we should decide together…"

A slow, tentative smile crept onto Byakuya's face and he nodded silently and slipped a hand into Sousuke's.

"I agree…" he said softly in reply.

"Rest now," Yoshiaki said, touching the noble's face and inducing sleep, "The difficulty is over…and all will be well, now."

Byakuya felt new warmth and hope inside as sleep slowly claimed him. But beneath his happiness, he felt an odd, thin feeling of darkness. He tried to center in on exactly what it was or where it came from, but the sleep fell over him too quickly and carried him away. He rose out of sleep only once, late that night, and smiled at finding himself curled comfortably into Sousuke's arms. He let his head drop onto the other's warm shoulder and quickly fell asleep again.


	19. Temptation

**Chapter 19: Temptation**

**(Translation "Watashi wa anata no mono = "I am yours.")**

The scent of hot food and the feel of searching fingers brushing against his face and hair brought Byakuya awake again. A soft tremor passed through him and he felt a gentle twinge in his loins at the touch of Sousuke's hardness where it pressed against his inner thigh. He released warm breath where his face rested beneath the other shinigami's chin and felt Sousuke catch his breath lightly.

"I thought you were not inclined to pressure me…" Byakuya said sleepily, "How is it then that you ended up holding me in your arms all night, Aizen Sousuke?"

He lifted his head and was met with an amused smile.

"I did say that," the brown-eyed shinigami said, brushing the stray hairs away from the noble's dark eyes, "but I did not say that I was above providing comfort…or perhaps temptation."

"So…which are you offering…comfort or temptation?" Byakuya asked, breathing in deeply and shifting so that his thigh moved against the other man's length.

He allowed himself a small, satisfied smile at the sound of Aizen's soft, sharp inhale. A curious eyebrow lifted as he awaited an answer.

"Last night," Aizen said, nuzzling closer and shifting so that Byakuya's thigh brushed against his arousal again, "I offered you comfort as you slept. I watched over you to make sure you slept well, but refrained from touching more than your face and hair as you slept. I assure you that you were quite safe with me."

"I see," Byakuya breathed against his throat, "So…now you tempt me?"

"Do I?" asked Aizen, "Or a better question might be…are you tempted?"

He moved slightly and smiled at the feel of Byakuya's hardened member as it pressed against his hip.

"I think we are both equally 'tempted,' Sousuke," Byakuya answered, blinking slowly, "Perhaps as this is the case, we should see who is more tempted and who wields better restraint…"

Aizen's eyes narrowed.

"I am afraid you have an unfair advantage," he observed, "I have already been tormented for years with thoughts of being with you, while you thought me a traitor and likely would rather have cut your own throat than to love me."

"And how much worse was it then for me, to be tormented with dreams of giving myself over to the tantalizing seduction of a traitor?" asked Byakuya, his lips quirking slightly, "For a person devoted to obeying the laws of our society, I assure you, the difficulty was extreme."

"You dreamed of me?" Aizen said, his eyes widening at the thought, "You _are_ wicked, aren't you? Beneath that calm, obedient surface lives a hidden rebel, ne?"

"And for all that you acted in such evil ways, you were surprisingly unwilling to reach out and grab the power you so lusted after before…"

"I told you that it was merely show…that I suspected…"

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "you did tell me in the letter you left. Kami, Sousuke, think of the trouble I could have avoided had I not simply set it aside."

He sighed softly.

"I thought of it often those first weeks, but eventually, it worked its way out of my mind…"

"Yes," said Sousuke warmly, "only to be brought back in the time you most needed it. But Byakuya, consider this…If you _had_ opened the letter, you would likely have not believed it. You might well have reacted with anger and perhaps thrown the soul communicator away…or turned the whole thing over to Soutaichou. And if you had done those things, you still would have been taken into the king's service. And in that case, there would have been no way to bring me here. With everyone but you and a fading Kirio here, how likely would it have been that my father could have been restored? And would I ever have known about my past? I think everything that happened, happened that way for a reason…or for important reasons."

"Perhaps…" Byakuya replied, breathing in the other man's pleasant scent and closing his eyes.

Aizen smiled.

"Well, enough musing…are you hungry? There is food here. That _is_ the reason I woke you."

"And why is food being brought? I am quite capable of…"

"The king ordered that you should rest. Your reiatsu was skyrocketing before, to the point where we weren't sure you weren't going to miscarry. You are on bed rest for the next twenty-four hours at least, and then the healer will have another look at you."

"Ah…" said Byakuya, disappointment in his tone, "then we must delay our game of temptation?"

"Hmmm…" Aizen sighed, "I have heard that sexual release has a very calming and soothing effect…after the physical exertion and heavy breathing have ended…"

"But that would defy the term 'bed rest,' ne?" Byakuya said, raising an eyebrow.

"Sadly, it would…so I imagine we have no choice but to behave ourselves for a little longer. Now…are you hungry?"

Byakuya studied the meal on the tray beside the bed. Everything on the tray had been prepared exactly to his liking…but…he felt a sudden hunger building that did not call for anything on the tray. He felt Sousuke flinch suddenly and turned to meet the other man's eyes.

"Your reiatsu is spiking again…" Sousuke said, placing his hands on the noble's face and boring down into his eyes, "I'll try to…"

He broke off as Byakuya felt a sudden surge of hunger…but again…not for what was in front of him. This hunger was for reiatsu. Sousuke flinched again and stared at him, letting a thin breath of his reiatsu touch Byakuya. Byakuya shivered hungrily, but forced down the reaction and recovered himself. Sousuke continued to study his reiatsu for several long minutes after.

"Odd," he mused, "perhaps the baby's reiatsu is interfering with yours. I will call the healer back in here…"

"No," said Byakuya, suddenly feeling a strong aversion to the idea of being looked over so closely, "I will be fine."

He took a few bites of food from the tray and the two shared the tea, then Byakuya settled against Sousuke's shoulder again and closed his eyes. He was asleep again almost instantly. When the other shinigami woke him again, he felt too sleepy and dull to manage anything and fell into a deeper sleep. He woke again long enough to see that the healer had returned and heard nothing to indicate his condition had worsened, so he dozed off a final time.

Some hours later, he woke to find that his need for sleep had been sated and his body was coming back to life. He slipped out of Sousuke's arms and put on a warmer yukata, then walked out to his balcony and dropped down into the king's gardens.

The gardens smelled more beautiful and fragrant for having received a gentle rain throughout the night. He breathed it in deeply and slowly…enjoying it thoroughly, but feeling distracted by the memory of that other, even more pleasing scent that still remained on some parts of his skin. He felt an unusual light feeling inside and was surprised to find that his lips were smiling. He wondered at himself for acting so oddly, but realized suddenly that it wasn't his attraction to Sousuke alone that was making him feel this way. Because…having been freed from the king's service, it was only reaching him now that the weight of loss had lifted.

_Even though there are many uncertainties, there is one thing that is certain…I have been freed…in body, heart and mind. I can go home…and I can regain my place as a taichou. With my returning strength, I can challenge my cousin for leadership of the clan…or perhaps he will back down when word of what happened here reaches the clan. More importantly, the king and all of the others here have been freed as well…_

"Byakuya?"

The noble turned, a smile still on his lips as he met Sousuke's eyes wearing a deeply contented expression.

"You look much better," commented the brown-haired shinigami, "And I see your long rest has restored your reiatsu now. May I join you?"

Byakuya nodded, enjoying the old, familiar feel of the man's presence beside him. While they had never been lovers before, they had certainly been close. A soft blush rose on his cheeks as he considered how things might change now. But a question rose in his mind that left him feeling unsettled.

"Sousuke," he said softly, "What are you going to do now? You are a member of the royal family. You will need to spend time here with the king…"

Sousuke smiled bracingly.

"Are you worried that your decision to return to the Seireitei means we will part ways again, Byakuya?"

He only had to glance into the noble's dark, smoky eyes to find his answer. He stopped walking and moved closer, wrapping his arms around the noble and kissing him lightly on the mouth.

"Kuchiki Byakuya, I did not wait all of this time for you to return my affections, only to withdraw them. We will find our way. Do not worry. For now, all I want is for you to be happy again. You spent too great a time in sadness. So tell me…how can I add to your contentment?"

Byakuya nuzzled beneath Sousuke's chin, as he had for most of the night they had spent together, and he breathed in deeply.

"Walk with me…breathe with me…be with me, Sousuke…" he whispered against the other man's throat.

A lightheaded feeling that had nothing to do with pregnancy passed over the noble as they walked down the pathway, side-by-side, enjoying the deep, lovely scents and vibrant colors of the flowers, trees and grasses. They paused by a running brook to exchange several deep, hungry kisses, then turned and started back towards the palace. As they walked, the rain began to fall again, softly at first, then building steadily. By the time they flash stepped back up onto the balcony and stepped into Byakuya's room again, both were soaked to the skin. They retreated to the shower and stood outside as the water warmed, and Sousuke's hand released the tie at Byakuya's waist. He peeled away the wet yukata and slowly revealed the pale, sculpted body he had never stopped dreaming of…even as he waited in the dead environs of Hueco Mundo. His hand slipped down and curled around the small bump in the noble's lower abdomen and he smiled at the soft pulse of life beneath his palm.

"Will you tell me something honestly?" Sousuke asked quietly, his voice barely audible over the sound of the shower, "How are you feeling about having this child?"

Byakuya's hand slid down to rest lightly on his.

"Sousuke," Byakuya replied, squeezing the other man's hand, "I may have had qualms about this child's conception, but since first feeling the touch of our baby's reiatsu, I have fallen in love with this new bit of life we are bringing into our worlds. I am content."

The brown-eyed shinigami smiled happily and removed his yukata, then followed the noble into the shower. They stood under the steaming water, wrapped in each other's arms and almost dozing contentedly as the soothing heat stole away the coldness that had invaded their bodies while they had walked in the rain. Their lips found and tasted each other lazily as they breathed in the warm steam and scents of soap and sakura.

"You are a delicious temptation, Byakuya," Sousuke whispered, licking the water from the noble's lips, "I don't know if I'll be able to resist you when we finish here…"

"Then I won't wait to claim victory…and you may indulge to your heart's content, if you wish," Byakuya said, smiling.

"Hmmm…I don't think I will give in yet, but we should decide what kind of temptation to begin with…"

"Do you have any ideas?" Byakuya asked.

"Well," said Sousuke, blinking the water out of his eyes, "I was thinking something sensual…but you have the scent category wrapped up. A few breaths of fine, sweet sakura and I am as good as defeated…"

"That doesn't sound fair," Byakuya observed.

"Well, then we'll start with something else…I will whisper something in your ear and you will whisper something in mine."

"That sounds simple enough," Byakuya agreed.

He froze as Aizen's hands captured him and the brown-eyed shinigami's lips and breath caressed the shell of an ear. He barely took in the words as hot breath, a stroking tongue and tender lips made his legs weaken beneath him. Then…the words reached him.

"_Marry me_,_ Byakuya. I know you need to return to the Seireitei…that you need to reclaim your place in your clan…but…I do not want to lose you after having come so far to make you mine. Aishiteru yo…Watashi wa anato no mono…_"

Byakuya stared into the affectionate brown eyes breathlessly.

"Sousuke…" he whispered finally, "That was…it was…"

The noble's lips tightened and his eyes flared.

"That was sinking awfully low, just to tempt me…"

"You think I was joking?" asked the brown-eyed shinigami, raising an eyebrow.

"N-no…I just meant…Sousuke, how could you ask me something like that…here? Like this? I am naked. I am soaking wet and I look like something Yoruichi's cat form dragged in. I have nothing to offer you. My clan deserted me and I have lost my place within the Gotei 13…I am…nothing…just…"

A warm kiss soothed him into silence.

"I don't care what you do or do not have in the way of titles or military designations. You are not nameless, nor powerless. You are Kuchiki Byakuya, my noble lover…and you have power over my heart. And I assure you, there is no disgrace in me asking you with you standing naked and drenched like this. You are absolutely stunning like this…a sweet temptation before you open your mouth and utter a word."

Byakuya's body shook softly beneath his hands. The noble's dark eyes burned beautifully and Sousuke smiled at the return of pride to that lovely face and even at hearing the indignant words that followed.

"Aizen Sousuke, that is the most disgraceful attempt at winning I have ever heard. And if what you said holds one word of truth, then you will desist until we are dried off and fully dressed, until I have regained my title…and when the stars are out and the moon is shining over us. If you want me to marry you, then you can't just throw a proposal at me while I am _weak, nameless, powerless and bathing_…"

He trailed off at the enchanted look in Sousuke's eyes.

"What…?" he mused.

The next moment, he was taken off his feet and carried out of the shower, thrown down onto the bed and pinned beneath the other man's wet body.

"What…? Sousuke, what in the devil are you…?"  
A hard, hungry kiss silenced him, then the dark brown eyes locked on his.

"You win the game of temptation, my Byakuya. I am…overcome…"

"But I haven't…" Byakuya began.

He was immediately stopped by another deep, powerful kiss.

"You didn't have to…" Sousuke whispered against his lips, "You never had to say a thing…Byakuya…"

The brown-eyed shinigami took Byakuya's wet face in his hands, sinking his fingers into the damp strands of raven black hair, smiling as he admired the soft glow of power around him, the shine of that pale, perfect skin, the flushed cheeks and lips, the deceptively delicate look of him…

"You are the most enchanting person I have ever met, Byakuya," Sousuke said, locking eyes with the spellbound noble, "and now that the danger is over and I have kept my promise to help free you, I must ask you…"

He paused and brushed the hair away from the dark, quiet eyes.

"Do you think…that you can love me? You couldn't answer me before…while you were in such difficulty. I was selfish to ask then. It is probably still a selfish thing, but…"

The noble's hands moved up to cover his and the smoky gray eyes met his warmly.

"I do not know what the future holds," he said softly, "but I am hoping to explore that question with you. And if you wish it…we could begin that exploration now."

Aizen smiled.

"Then…I wish it…with all of my heart," he said, bringing their lips together.

Their kisses began softly, just the barest meetings of sensitive flesh. Their fingers laced together and Sousuke's body relaxed on top of Byakuya's. Their eyes remained locked as the kisses intensified, as the brown-eyed shinigami's mouth left his and traveled lightly over face and throat, soaking in the tiny beads of water that still decorated his skin. Byakuya sank his fingers into the damp brown hair, his breaths coming faster as the strokes of the other man's tongue heated his water-cooled flesh. Power flared softly around them and their reiatsu touched gently, searchingly…waiting calmly for the joining of their bodies as the two fell under the heavy enchantment of deep attraction. Sousuke's hips moved, sliding his wet and hungry erection against the noble's and eliciting a soft moan of delight from the lovely man beneath him. He pressed his hips forward, deepening the delicious contact, adding his own sounds of contentment as Byakuya's hands tightened on him and the noble's body thrust upward into his.

His body overtaken with arousal, Byakuya closed his eyes. But as he did, a memory returned…

_"Very good," the king breathed against his skin, "You are committed to making our union successful. That is very good. It will make things easier for both of us."_

He tried to force the memory from his mind, but as Sousuke continued to work his way slowly down the noble's body, Byakkuya's breath tightened in his chest and other memories pushed in…

_Byakuya leaned back against the king's chest, trying to breathe normally as the charm was removed. But nothing could have prepared him for the sensation of the breath being ripped from his body, the feeling of being slowly deprived of life and breath. A soft, strangled gasp escaped him and he felt the king's fingers running through his hair…a soft, reassuring voice in his ear, then gentle pressure on his lips. He closed his eyes against the awful, tearing sensation, a moan escaping as he felt himself lowered onto the grass._

_He sensed that something more was happening to his body. His clothes were loosened and the king's hands were touching him, but his mind dropped away and he couldn't be sure of the nature of those touches. He heard the sound of incoherent screams, mingled with a voice that seemed to be trying to reassure him. He heard someone say his name and then felt himself lifted and carried. His mind spun harder, trying to surface, but not able to break free of the weight that dragged him down. Worried voices sounded around him, mingled with the sound of someone crying. There were hands on his face and voices that said his name over and over._

"Byakuya, are you all right?" Sousuke asked, pausing at the tension in the noble's body.

He looked up at Byakuya's face and found that his eyes were closed and his head was turned aside. Byakuya took a breath and opened his eyes as the other man returned to his lips and touched his face with questing fingertips.

"If you are uncomfortable…we can stop."

Byakuya's mind flashed with a memory of Yoshiaki's golden eyes…the ravenous, predatory look they had always taken on when with him.

_Because the hollow was inside him, and it was hungry for me…_

He gazed quietly into the brown eyes of the king's son and noticed that the color seemed lighter. Gold streaks were appearing in them. Likely, he thought, it was the revealing of who he was, and the onset of his birthright powers.

But his mind wouldn't let him forget that the other hollow…the one that had inhabited Gin, was still hiding somewhere…

_But I can't let that interfere…_

_I have very strong feelings for Sousuke…_

_I feel an ache inside because I long for him to touch me…_

_But when he does, I keep remembering…_

_I was here…in this room…in this bed…with the hollow that was inside the king…_

Softened lips touched his abdomen and warm fingers began to prepare him.

Byakuya opened his eyes, taking a breath and looking down to reassure himself. But with his head turned away, he looked like…

He closed his eyes again and breathed slowly, trying to wrap himself again in the contentment of being freed of his obligation to the king…of the giving of body and reiatsu…of the draining of his life. As a second finger penetrated him and he felt Sousuke's eyes looking at him, he forced a return smile and released a shuddering breath. Sousuke's mouth wrapped around him and sent his mind spinning again. He fought for breath as a third finger entered him and his body quivered involuntarily.

_This is not the hollow…and it is not the king. This is Sousuke, the man I wouldn't let myself love before. He has given greatly of himself to free me…and has asked for nothing in return. He has been sensitive to my needs and even offered to wait…_

And it was that which gave him the strength to make his body calm and pliant in Sousuke's gentle, insistent hands, that allowed him to smile back and respond, though his heart shivered inside. But as Sousuke's fingers left him and he felt his thighs being pushed open wider…and the other man's body moving into position, the memories assaulted his mind again.

_How can he sit here and speak so calmly of stripping away my life! That's what this is…Drained of my power…no spiritual pressure…no zanpakutou…I'll be but the shell of a person. And I can see it in his eyes. He cannot wait to do this to me!_

"Aishiteru yo, Byakuya…" Sousuke's voice said suddenly in his ear.

He caught his breath at how quickly the words brought him back from the edge. He opened his eyes and looked up into the calm ones that were looking down at him. Held spellbound by those affectionate eyes that loved, but did not demand, that asked, but did not require…Byakuya felt the tension in his body ease and he took the other man's face in his hands, kissing him hungrily and barely feeling the penetration of his body.

This, he remembered was the man he remembered from the Seireitei…the wise and kind scholar, who had instructed him in calligraphy when he was younger, who had never viewed him as a spoiled child, but was sensitive to the fact he had lost his parents and that being raised a noble was difficult. This was the man who had been his friend when he was new to being a taichou…as he grew in power and others avoided him because of his noble status and his increasing power. This was the one who he had found himself loving, even though it violated the rules. But there were no rules barring their love now. He was no longer restrained by a position in the Gotei 13 or questions of nobility. Sousuke was the king's son and could love where he chose, and being freed of his obligations to the military and his clan, Byakuya could now respond wholeheartedly. The realization passed over him in a lovely, golden wave, allowing him to finally let go of his inhibitions and experience love as it was supposed to be…

He sank into Sousuke's heavy, penetrating kisses and slid his hands down the long, white torso, letting his hands wrap around the other man's hips and encourage them to thrust in harder and faster. He felt a hand wrap around his length, moving up and down, and bringing him to the edge of a great precipice. Sousuke's body shuddered warningly, and then Byakuya felt as though they had thrown themselves off a ledge and were falling together. Pleasure exploded through his body, gripping him from end to end, forcing gasping cries from deep in his chest. Heat flooded him inside and the body on top of his fell still except for the heaving of his chest as he worked to regain his breath. Byakuya was sure that although he had climaxed before, he had never before experienced true completion. And the eyes that looked down into his told him that his lover felt exactly the same…

"Aishiteru yo…Sousuke," he whispered onto the lips that sought his, "Watashi wa anata no mono…"

They drifted off together and fell into a deep sleep. Neither rose out of it, even when the hollow emerged and quietly began to feed…


	20. The Bloodletting

**Chapter 20: The Bloodletting**

Byakuya felt a warm hand caressing the bump on his abdomen and affectionate lips making a line of kisses down the side of his throat. He opened his eyes to meet Aizen Sousuke's. The noble's fingertips traced the lips that had kissed him, then slipped into the other man's brown hair, coaxing him into a hotter, deeper exchange of kisses that left the two panting softly and hungry for more. Byakuya shoved the other man down playfully and Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly and watched closely as the noble let his yukata fall open, then spread his milky white thighs and sat astride his lover's body, with their already swollen members touching. Byakuya laced their fingers together and moved his hips slowly, looking down into the crown prince's eyes as he rubbed warmly against him.

"You still look pale and rather weary," Byakuya commented, "Are you all right, Sousuke?"

"Am I all right?" the other man said, smirking, "You have helped me to regain my rightful place in the monarchy, and you sit atop my body, dancing so beautifully while giving me sweet, tantalizing pleasure. I would say that I am better than all right."

"But your reiatsu is oddly low. Are you sure you are not ill?"

Aizen shook his head.

"I am fine, my love. Stop worrying," he said, sliding his hands around the noble's lovely bottom and encouraging him in the slow, increasingly heavy, grinding motions.

Byakuya's head bowed as they moved together, and he felt a strange dizziness pass over him. He couldn't be sure if it was simply the heat of their passions colliding, or if he had gone feverish.

"Sousuke..." he moaned, falling forward slightly and placing his hands on either side of the other man's head as he fell onto his lover's chest, thrusting harder and invading the other man's mouth with romantic fervor.

"Byakuya...!" Aizen sighed, his eyes closing in bliss at the shockingly beautiful sensations.

He held on tightly to the noble's thrusting bottom, moving his own hips to increase the delicious friction. His fingers invaded Byakuya's entrance and began to prepare him, and Byakuya responded instantly, rising up off of the other man's chest and throwing his head back, closing his eyes in ecstasy.

"What a lovely sight!" Aizen mused, sweat misting his skin as one hand continued to pleasure the noble's nether region and the other rose up to tease his nipples, before sliding provocatively down his undulating torso, "Oh...oh, Byakuya! Even before, when I thought you might never love me, I didn't dare dream of something so devilishly beautiful. Yet...here you are...giving yourself to me...body, mind and heart. I thought that I might die, never knowing this..."

"I couldn't let myself love you before," Byakuya whispered back, "I was held back by my submission to the clan laws and rules. It wouldn't have been allowed. And then...then, I believed you to be our enemy. But all of that unhappiness is washed away now. Because even where my commitment to duty placed me in the arms of the possessed king, you came to me. Even after I refused you, you came to me and Sousuke, you have given back everything that matters to me. So...I do not need to go back to the Seireitei...to retake my place as the head of household. The only place I belong now, is in your arms. And the only duty that I feel obliged to perform is to make you content and raise our children here, in the palace."

A slow, smirking smile crawled across Aizen's face as the words sank in.

"Children?"

"Yes, Sousuke," Byakuya whispered, bringing their lips together, "I would like a large family...if you are amenable to that."

Aizen's smile widened.

"I do suppose that as the invading hollows have whittled down the royal family to just a few, it would be good for us to have a substantial number of children. And I must admit, both the making of those children, as well as seeing you so content carrying them will bring me endless pleasure, Byakuya. But...I do not want this to weigh on you. You gave up everything to serve the king as his consort, and it nearly crushed your fine spirits. I do not want our union to merely be something that you see to out of commitment to duty. I want it to be as fulfilling for you as it is for me. If it is not, then I would not wish for you to stay, but would return you to your manor this moment."

A shiver went through the prince as Byakuya gifted him with a very slight, but genuine smile.

"Sousuke, the reason that I could not find contentment with King Yoshiaki is that he treated me, from the beginning, as his possession, something to be used for his pleasure, emptied and made hollow, then discarded and forgotten. Had his suit been honorable, I would not have been crushed. I would not have loved him as I do you, in any case. You have, it seems, had my heart for some time. And now, it is yours for all time. I am content. You make me content."

"Do I?" the prince said smoothly, "because, although you do look lovely and riled, you do not yet look content. I wonder what I shall do about that..."

He turned suddenly and brought Byakuya down onto his hands and knees on the bed, then pushed down on his upper back, making him rest on his forearms with his bottom raised and completely exposed to his lover. Aizen laid himself across the noble's white back, pulling his hair back to uncover his graceful neck and muscular shoulder as he entered him.

"_Oh, S-sousuke!"_ Byakuya gasped, his eyelids fluttering as Aizen made a line of kisses down his spine, then backed away slightly and teased the noble as he narrowed his eyes, just thinking about what he was going to do to his pretty lover. He placed a hand on each round buttock, and coaxed his the noble's legs open wider, smirking as Byakuya gave a lusty groan of anticipation. Aizen first dipped his head slightly and pleasured his nether region shamelessly. Byakuya shuddered and gripped the bedding, moaning helplessly as Aizen's tongue touched and teased him. An even more lusty sound escaped him as his lover's hot breath touched the area, then with agonizing slowness, his tongue played about, while Aizen's hands caressed his privates nearly to the point of undoing him, then and there. The prince pulled away for a moment, coaxing a sound of distress from his nearly overwhelmed lover, then laid a reassuring hand on his hip to let him know that the pleasure wasn't going to stop. Aizen leaned forward again, rubbing himself against the place he had probed with his tongue, then chuckled softly at the wanton sound that rose up from where Byakuya's head remained bowed, hidden by a curtain of tumbled, black hair. He paused and reached down to draw it back behind a pale earlobe, then caught Byakuya's chin and turned his head slightly, so that he could watch the noble's reaction as he was penetrated. He took his lover in a single, blinding thrust that dragged a guttural cry from Byakuya's sweetly parted lips and made the edges curve upward as Aizen began thrusting.

His eyes feasted on his lovely partner's bowed head, clutching hands, shaking torso, and unusually passionate expression. He moved hard and fast now, unable to hold back as the beauty of the man beneath him enchanted...delighted...and enthralled him. And with every grinding thrust, the sounds that rose up from Byakuya's quivering form grew more passionate and desperate. He shifted his angle slightly and smiled wickedly as Byakuya loosed an uncontrolled howl of pleasure. The noble's body quaked warningly, and Aizen quickened his thrusting even more until a heavy shudder took the noble, throwing him heedlessly over the edges of pleasure and into the throes of release.

Byakuya's body gave way, collapsing onto the bed as his seed escaped his body in hot, gripping pulses. Aizen's body moved with his, those powerful hips driving into him one last time as Aizen groaned in obvious delight and filled the noble with his blazing release.

He stretched out all along Byakuya's sweat-misted back, still entrenched in the noble, smiling and kissing every inch of white flesh his searching lips could reach. Byakuya went quiet and still, except for the soft heaving of his breast as he slowly regained his breath.

"Ah, Byakuya," Aizen sighed, closing his eyes and reaching around the noble's waist to rub his abdomen lightly, "I wonder if the pheromones you emit are making me drunk. I feel almost dizzy with contentedness."

As the prince's hand came to rest over the small bump under which their child grew, an odd jolt passed through him, and he went still, his eyes glazing over, then closing. Byakuya rose slowly, then turned to look at the unconscious prince for a moment, his eyes somewhere between senselessness and malevolence. He bent over Aizen's softly breathing form, a strange red tendril emerging from his abdomen and penetrating Aizen's, then slowly drawing out a 'feeding' of reiatsu. He fed on the prince's reiatsu for several minutes, then left him sleeping and left their bed.

Byakuya walked out onto the balcony, not even tying his yukata back in place as he launched himself off of the balcony and landed lightly on the ground. He flash stepped into the trees, avoiding the eyes of the guards and focusing on the heavy, commanding reiatsu of the spirit king.

_He is alone in the gardens. Go to him now._

Byakuya's possessed body moved forward slowly, gliding in between the trees and hiding his reiatsu. He allowed only the king to sense his approach, and made sure that as he reached Yoshiaki, the king could not miss the enchanting sight of his revealed body.

"B-byakuya?" the king intoned softly, his eyes looking into the noble's, and an odd twinge of warning, rising up inside him, "Byakuya, what are you...?"

He staggered back as the hollow emerged from Byakuya's abdomen, striking out with blinding speed and tearing into the surprised king's body. Yoshiaki gasped and stared in dismay as the emerged hollow's sharp teeth sought his throat with the intent of tearing it out, then and there, and he barely managed to stop the attack just short of its mark, letting his hands be torn instead. He wondered that the guards did not answer to his call, then felt the heavy shielding that had snapped into place around them.

"Byakuya!" he panted, his eyes wide and pained as the blood and reiatsu poured out of his breached body, splashing onto the ground and staining the noble's red yukata and pale skin, "Byakuya, y-you must..."

Byakuya's hazed over eyes looked back at him coldly, watching as he shuddered and slowly slid to the ground. His lips smiled cruelly as he stood over the collapsed king, waiting until the signs of life had nearly faded. Then, he walked away slowly, not looking back as he abandoned the fallen monarch.

_He deserved it._

_He stole you away from the life you had._

_He raped and beat you._

_He made you lose your child._

Byakuya flinched, his mind struggling beneath the hollow's firm control. The hollow sensed that its control was still a tenuous thing and sent the noble running to a nearby stream, where he cleaned away the blood and let his ruined yukata float away in the water. He returned to the palace, still hiding himself from the eyes of the guards, flash stepping up onto the balcony and slipping back into the bedroom he shared with Prince Aizen. He found another red yukata and slipped it on, leaving it open as he slid into bed next to the still unconscious prince.

He was surprised at how long it seemed to take until the palace alarms began to wail and the bedroom door was thrown open. The hollow sank deep down beneath Byakuya's spirit centers, invading the reiatsu chamber that held the developing child. He gazed at the reiatsu hungrily, but knew better than to devour it. He was only able to hide so well within the noble because of the cover that the child provided.

_But...when the time comes for this one to be born, I can merge with it and become the new prince..._

"Sousuke!" Byakuya said, gently shaking the prince, "Sousuke, wake up!"

Aizen moved sluggishly, his eyes blinking drowsily as it reached him that the palace guards now stood in their room. The watch commander's fukutaichou stepped forward, his expression haunted.

"Lord Prince! The king has been attacked!" he reported breathlessly.

"What?" Byakuya and Aizen said together.

"He was found in the gardens. Sir...no one should have been able to approach him without us sensing it! He is always protected, even when he walks alone in the gardens!"

Aizen shook his head solemnly.

"It appears that the hollow has made its move," he said, starting to rise.

He caught his breath softly as a wave of dizziness passed over him, and Byakuya wrapped an arm around him to steady him.

"Are you all right?" the noble asked worriedly, "Sousuke, your reiatsu is abysmally low!"

"We haven't time for that!" Aizen said, exiting the bed and leaning a hand against the wall to steady himself as their attendants appeared and hastily dressed them.

They left the room under the watchful eye of the watch commander's fukutaichou, moving at flash step speed to the infirmary, where they found a white-faced Kirio, waiting outside the room where the palace healers gathered around the injured king.

"What have you heard?" Aizen asked quickly, "They said that he was attacked in the gardens?"

"Y-yes!" Kirio said, blinking back tears, "He likes to take evening walks, and even though he is alone for them, the guards track the reiatsu around him to guard against something like this. But whatever approached him did not set off the alarms, or somehow blocked the methods used to monitor the area around the king."

"Do you think it was the hollow?" Byakuya asked.

"It must have been," said Kirio, shaking her head, "I can't think of anything else that we know of that is so adept at hiding! Remember that this hollow hid within Ichimaru Gin for years without being detected. It could be within anyone now!"

"No," said Aizen, frowning, "No, not anyone. It would have to be someone of higher reiatsu so that it could hide its reiatsu and successfully approach the king without setting off alarms. It must be someone that my father knows and trusts to get close enough to do him damage."

"I think you are right," said Kirio, turning to the watch commander, "Hideo, we will need you to interview each of us, all of the guards, the healers and the attendants who have access to the king. And while we have not located this hollow, the king is to be guarded at all times, by no less than four armed watchmen!"

"Yes, my queen," the watch commander said, bowing and flash stepping away.

Aizen and Byakuya sat down across from the queen, whose worried eyes flicked intermittently towards the treatment room where the king laid.

"He is strong," Byakuya said bracingly, "Orihime had completely healed him. He will be all right."

"I hope you are right," said the queen sadly, "Despite what happened before, I know that he is a good man. We have grown closer since he was freed, and I do not want him to die. His heart was so heavy, knowing what the hollow had caused him to do to me...to Byakuya, to everyone! He was penitent, even though there was nothing that he could have done. His body was healed, but his heart was still tormented. They simply must save him! I saw Orihime go into the room with him."

"Then, if she is there," Aizen said quietly, "he will be all right. Her powers are very strong. She was able to break the hollow's hold over my father and she will be able to save him now."

Aizen's eyes strayed to the room where the king laid, fighting for his life.

"And while she does, we will not stop searching until we find and destroy that cursed hollow!"


End file.
